


Hiraeth

by bringcolourtomyskies



Category: InuYasha - A Feudal Fairy Tale
Genre: InuSess, M/M, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Mpreg, Seme Sesshoumaru (InuYasha), Slow Burn, Smut, Uke InuYasha, buckle up folks this’ll be a long one, spends a loooot of time building up to an actual relationship
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-01
Updated: 2019-02-20
Packaged: 2019-08-20 13:41:08
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 29,344
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16556822
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bringcolourtomyskies/pseuds/bringcolourtomyskies
Summary: It’s an arrangement that works for both of them, though Sesshomaru doesn’t leave Inuyasha much of a choice in the matter. Inuyasha is lonely, and Sesshomaru requires a guardian for Rin.As time passes them by, Rin becomes important to Inuyasha, Sesshomaru seems to soften, and all is calm. Inuyasha begins to move past the loss of the women he loved and the emptiness of the lack of battles. But only the dead have seen the end of the war.There’s a secret that Sesshomaru’s been keeping from Inuyasha, and other powerful demons begin to stir. Eventually, Inuyasha will be forced to choose between happiness and safety. Sesshomaru, surprisingly, helps.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> First Inuyasha fanfic… even though I’ve been a fan for like 3 years.
> 
> If u happen to be a Sheith fan from my other fanfic, worry not! I will finish it, but I needed a break. I will probably wait till the fandom stirs up again to update, like in December, yanno?
> 
> Anyway, some context:
> 
> In this fic, Kagome never returned, and Inuyasha ends up forming a close bond with Rin when Sesshomaru leaves her in the village. Literally everything else is canon from where the series ended. Inuyasha starts at 201 and Sesshomaru is somewhere between 400-500. No underage, no rape/non-con (though it is alluded to), and no explicit gore (that might change, but if it does I’ll give a heads up at the beginning of the chapter).
> 
> Enjoy!

“I’d have thought you’d had enough of sleeping on trees to last you a lifetime, Inuyasha.”

These are the words that startled Inuyasha out of one of his rare peaceful sleeps one warm summer morning in the forest. The scent of Sesshomaru’s youkai was heavy in the air, and Inuyasha mentally berated himself for not waking from his slumber as soon as the other had been within a few miles’ radius. He opened his eyes and was blinded by the morning sun, but nevertheless drew the Tetsusaiga with deadly speed, sensing it transform in response, and aimed it in the general direction of the elder demon’s voice, which was below himself. That’s right - sleeping in trees. Inuyasha blinked sun spots and grogginess from his eyes, the claws of his left hand piercing the trunk of the tree he’d been dozing in as he tensed in preparation for a battle. He finally spotted Sesshomaru peering apathetically up at him from the ground a dozen feet below, his own sword still sheathed.

“I did not seek you out to kill you. Although, you would have made it an exceedingly simple task by allowing me within striking distance before you decided to wake.”

“Keh.” Inuyasha reluctantly sheathed the Tetsusaiga, eyeing Sesshomaru warily. He was overly aware that his legs were dangling awkwardly over either side of the branch he sat on, like a toddler, but he wasn’t willing to leave the spot where he had the advantage just yet. “I suppose if you wanted to kill me you’d have done it while I was sleeping.”

Sesshomaru’s handsome, delicate features morphed into a faintly displeased frown. “My honor would not allow me to slay you in such a cowardly manner. Come down from the tree so that we may talk.”

Inuyasha raised an eyebrow skeptically. “Talk? Since when do you want to talk?”

“Must you always be insolent? I am being diplomatic, Inuyasha.”

Inuyasha scoffed. “If that’s what you call ‘diplomatic,’ we really need to work on your social skills. I can hear you just fine from where I am.”

Sesshomaru’s frown deepened. The scent of irritation reached Inuyasha’s nose, and with it, Sesshomaru’s natural spicy, woodsy musk. It was not altogether unpleasant, though he’d be dead before he admitted that. But currently, the ‘irritation’ part was adding an aspect to the other demon’s scent that dampened its pleasantness.

“Cease this childishness, Inuyasha, and come down. Or are you more of a coward than I thought?”

With an annoyed growl, Inuyasha gathered his feet underneath him on the branch and launched himself down to the ground, landing a couple of feet out of sword’s reach. He eyed Sesshomaru with defiance, his fists clenched by his sides. “I ain’t a coward, Sesshomaru. What do you want?”

Wordlessly, and without any attempt at subtlety, Sesshomaru took a great sniff. Although he hadn’t come any closer, Inuyasha took a hesitant step back, glaring incredulously. “What the hell are you -“

“It seems that my suspicions were correct… how interesting.”

“What suspicions, you creepy son of a -“

“However, that can be discussed at a more opportune time. I am here to speak with you about Rin.”

“Rin?” Inuyasha echoed, his apprehension of Sesshomaru dissipating in the face of worry for the little girl. His fists unclenched. “Is she alright?”

Sesshomaru quirked an eyebrow at his obvious concern, but said nothing of it. His face betrayed almost no emotion, but as he turned it to the side and then skywards in thought, Inuyasha detected a sliver of sadness in his expression, which stunned him to his core. He’d known that Sesshomaru cared for the girl, but for a human to invoke even a smidgeon sadness in the cold-hearted demon lord of the west was… well, if you’d told Inuyasha a year ago that that was the case, he’d have thought you insane. “She is quite well. I have come to the realization that it is best for her to spend the remainder of her childhood living amongst her own kind. Once she has matured, she may make the choice of with whom she wishes to be. For the time being, I have left her under the care of the old Miko of your village, Kaede. You will protect her in my absence.”

Inuyasha sputtered indignantly. Not that he minded protecting the brat, but he did mind being told what to do, and by Sesshomaru, no less. “And what if I don’t?”

Sesshomaru broke his gaze from the clouds and turned it on Inuyasha, his pale gold eyes intense. “She may die. This is not of concern to me, because I know that your words are empty. You cannot help but protect her. It is in your nature. However, rest assured that if harm befalls her on your watch, I shall raze your village to the ground.”

Inuyasha’s eyes widened. Without waiting for a response, Sesshomaru turned on his heel and began stalking away, his precise footfalls barely disturbing the forest floor.

“Hey, asshole!” Inuyasha called after him, his ire sparked. “You can’t just come out of nowhere and make demands and threats like that!”

Sesshomaru didn’t even acknowledge his words. “I shall return in autumn to visit Rin.” He said, then his body began to emanate white light and morph into a bright orb. Without further explanation, he was gone in an obnoxious flash.

“Asshole.” Inuyasha grumbled again, with only the trees to hear him.

________________________________

“Well, I think this could be good for you.” Sango said with a shrug, placing a heaping bowl of rice in front of him. Inuyasha, still angsty from the encounter with his brother, had stormed back to the village and over to his friends’ hut to tell them how much of a jackass the guy was. He snatched up the bowl and began shoveling rice angrily into his mouth. 

“Being forced to look after Sesshomaru’s pet human?” He asked skeptically through mouthfuls of food. “Until she’s mature? That’ll be another seven or eight years!”

Miroku offered Inuyasha a small cloth to wipe his mouth, then sat across from him with his own meal. “What Sango means is that, well… it’s been since before spring that Kagome left, and you’ve been… a bit out of sorts.”

Inuyasha gulped down a bite of rice and paused, frowning. “Out of sorts?”

“You’ve been moping.” Sango clarified. Before Inuyasha could protest (probably with an untrue cry of ‘I have not!’), she continued. “It’s understandable. Miroku and Shippo and I miss her, too. But we’ve all got each other, and you’re alone all the time. That can’t help with the loneliness you’re feeling.”

The little fox demon, having finished his own meal, climbed up his back and perched on his shoulder. “Sango’s right, you know. Taking care of Rin will make you less lonely. She’s really fun -“

Inuyasha cut Shippo off by plucking him from his shoulder and depositing him back on the floor. “Let’s get one thing straight: I ain’t taking care of her. That’s Kaede’s responsibility. I’m just making sure she doesn’t die.”

“Inuyasha, you can’t expect Lady Kaede to do all the work,” Sango admonished, “she’s old. She needs help. I’d do it myself, if…” Her hand drifted down to her slightly protruding belly and rubbed it a few times for emphasis. “I’ll be pretty busy already.”

Inuyasha rolled his eyes. “I can’t believe you two will have a brat of your own before winter is over. Certainly didn’t waste any time, huh, monk?”

With an awkward laugh, Miroku scratched the back of his head. “I hadn’t any to waste for most of my life, you see.”

Inuyasha’s eyes fell on Sango’s belly. “Yeah. I do see.”

“I think it’ll be fun!” Shippo exclaimed. “I can show him my fox magic, and play pranks with him, and teach him how to impress girls!”

Sango chuckled. “And what if the baby is a girl?”

Shippo folded his little arms and thrust his nose in the air. “He’s a boy. I have a feeling.”

“Will you not act as her older brother if she’s a girl?”

Looking stricken, Shippo clenched his fists valiantly. “Of course I will! I’ll protect her with my life! But I won’t let her dress me up as a girl or pick flowers with her or any other weird stuff girls think is fun.”

“You said Rin is fun.” Inuyasha pointed out. “She’s a girl.”

Shippo blushed. “Yeah, well… Rin likes girly stuff… but she also likes fun stuff, too.”

Inuyasha smirked. “Oh, so Rin’s different, is she? You got a crush?”

Shippo stomped his little fox paw. “I didn’t say that!”

“Don’t tease him, it’s cute.” Miroku cooed.

“I think I’ll save you the trouble and let her know.” Said Inuyasha. Riling up the little fox never failed to amuse him. 

“Why, you-“ Shippo attempted to pummel Inuyasha, but the older demon held him at bay effortlessly with a hand on his head.

“Shippo’s in looove, Shippo’s in looove!” He chanted, snickering. “Shippo’s in -“

“Master Inuyasha?” 

The soft whisper of a voice had them all looking at the entrance of the hut where little Rin was standing, looking quite shy.

“Er, it’s just Inuyasha, kid. What is it?”

Rin scuffed the floor nervously with her foot, unwilling to leave the entry way. “Lady Kaede said that I could find you here. I’ve got all my things. Is this your hut?”

Inuyasha blinked, glancing at Rin’s humble pouch of belongings and her sleep roll tucked under her arm.

“You want to stay in my hut?” He asked in shock. “Not Kaede’s? You’d rather stay with the half-demon than the nice old lady?”

Rin nodded. “Is that okay, Master Inuyasha?”

The look on his face must’ve been priceless, because he spotted Sango and Miroku stifling giggles in his periphery. Great, so now he was left not only protecting the girl, but sheltering her, too? He wasn’t really up for hearing about how great “Lord Sesshomaru” was for seven years. But the girl looked so lost and lonely, and Inuyasha couldn’t help seeing a bit of himself in her. She’d lost both of her parents when she was very young and now wasn’t sure whether she belonged amongst demons or humans. He supposed, as long as she didn’t go on about her admiration for his brother all the time….

“Sure, kid, I guess.” He said finally. “And I told you, it’s just Inuyasha.”

Rin donned a wide grin for no freaking reason, her eyes bright, as if Inuyasha had just adopted her or something. “What’re you smiling at? I only said you could stay in my hut.”

At this, Rin laughed openly. Inuyasha rolled his eyes. “What’s so funny?”

Between laughs, Rin explained. “You remind me of Lord Sesshomaru!”

Any soft spot he might’ve been feeling for the brat died with those words. Miroku And Sango could no longer hold back their own mirth.

“You’re right, Rin!” Miroku laughed. “That is funny!”

How Rin came to that conclusion, Inuyasha would never understand. With a shudder at the thought of being like his brother, he stood and made his way towards the entrance of the hut. Rin stared happily up at him, her nervousness subsided.

“C’mon, squirt. I’ll show you where my hut is.”

__________________________________

As the sun began to hasten across the sky and the leaves began to turn orange and red, Inuyasha almost forgot about Sesshomaru’s promise to return in autumn. Rin, however, did not.

“Master Inuyasha! Master Inuyasha, look!”

Even over the course of many moons, he hadn’t been able to convince the kid not to call him “master.” Besides his little coward of an advisor Myoga, he wasn’t used to anyone addressing him with honorifics. Far from it, in fact. But Rin wouldn’t be swayed.

“Watch me, Master Inuyasha!”

Sitting on the hill behind his hut with his chin propped in his palm, Inuyasha sighed and turned to face the little girl.

“There, I’m watching. What is it?”

With a delighted giggle, Rin bounded down the crest of the hill and launched herself into the leaf pile that Inuyasha had so painstakingly raked up. Her little body vanished into it, her momentum sending crispy leaves fluttering ten feet in the air. Inuyasha rose to his feet with an annoyed scoff and leapt down next to the pile. He could still hear her giggles within it. With a soft growl, he plunged his arm into it and rummaged around until he caught hold of her collar and hauled her up, still squealing with mirth.

“Master Inuyasha, you found me!”

Inuyasha set her down and began brushing off the leaves clinging to her hair and clothes. “You insane little monkey, do you know how long it took me to rake those leaves? And you know that snakes and spiders and all kinds of creepy crawlers like to hide in leaf piles? Jeez, kid, you’ve got autumn all over you.”

Rin’s eyes widened. “Autumn?”

“Yeah,” said Inuyasha, still picking bits of twigs out of her hair. “It’s what it’s called when the leaves change colors and start falling of the trees, and the air gets cooler. Autumn.”

Rin beamed. “That means that Lord Sesshomaru will visit soon!”

Inuyasha paused and cocked his head. “Oh, yeah. I’d almost forgotten. I guess the a- the guy will show up any day now.”

He’d learned to watch how he spoke of “Lord Sesshomaru” when Rin was around, as anything offensive towards her lord tended to hurt her feelings.

The wind that had been rolling over the village all day kicked up a particularly cool gust, sending chills up Inuyasha’s spine. Rin shivered. Inuyasha took her smaller hands between his and rubbed them to create friction.

“I think it’s time to go inside and start a fire, Rin. It’s getting cold.”

Before Rin could respond, a voice sounded from the forest edge.

“Indeed.”

Both half-demon and human snapped their heads towards the voice, and Inuyasha jolted out of his crouch and quickly shoved Rin behind himself. He gripped the Tetsusiga’s handle, eyeing the tree line closely. The voice sounded like Sesshomaru, but he was downwind and out of sight, so Inuyasha would not take any chances.

“Stand down, Inuyasha,” Sesshomaru said, emerging from the trees a moment later. “It is only me.”

“What a relief.” Inuyasha muttered sarcastically and grudgingly released his sword handle.

“Lord Sesshomaru!” Rin cried, darting around Inuyasha to greet his brother. She came to an abrupt halt in front of him and looked up at him with a huge grin and sparkling eyes. At the sight, something in Inuyasha felt inexplicably… jealous? Possessive? Jeez, he’d only been looking after the kid for a few months, it wasn’t like she was his daughter. He stubbornly shoved the emotions into the back of his mind.

“Rin.” Said Sesshomaru, looking down at the girl with a blank expression. “I hope you have fared well?”

“Oh, very well, Lord Sesshomaru! I’ve been on my best behavior! I was lonely at first, but all the villagers are very nice to me, and Master Inuyasha always takes care of me, and - Master Jaken!”

Inuyasha, whose cheeks had warmed at her words, was immensely relieved that Jaken had distracted her before she could go into more detail. The old toad demon had burst through the tree line at that moment, clutching the reins of A-Un, who followed shortly thereafter, crushing leaves and sticks noisily underneath their great talons. Rin tackled the breathless Jaken in a hug before he could dodge her.

“You pesky girl!” He croaked angrily, dropping his two-headed staff and trying unsuccessfully to pry her off. 

“I’ve missed you, Master Jaken! I know you’ve missed me, too, you can’t fool me!”

“I have not! Release me at once!” The imp cried.

As they squabbled half-heartedly, Sesshomaru approached Inuyasha, who tensed, but did not draw his sword. The older demon stopped at a respectable distance, out of earshot of the other two. He looked his same, stoic, uncaring self. His face was as cruel as ever. As close as he was, he still stood downwind, so Inuyasha couldn’t get a good whiff of him. It made him feel almost blind.

“Rin claims that you always take care of her.” Sesshomaru said, as though he hadn’t been able to hear the conversation. Inuyasha folded his arms.

“Keh. That’s an overstatement. All I do is make sure she doesn’t die.”

Sesshomaru’s eyebrows rose a fraction, and he walked up the hill and past Inuyasha as he spoke. “Judging from what I witnessed from the trees’ cover, that was not an overstatement at all.”

Realization dawned on Inuyasha, and he spun around to indignantly confront Sesshomaru. “Just how long were you watching us for, you creepy bastard?!”

“You accuse me of that often. Being ‘creepy.’” Sesshomaru observed without looking back, heading towards Inuyasha’s hut. “Do you still fear me, Inuyasha?”

Inuyasha clenched his fists tightly, a nerve struck. He’d always feared his brother. Always. From the very first moment he’d seen the heartless demon as a young child. To admit this, however, would mean to die at his hand. At least it would have, at one time. Now, though…. 

“You wish! I’ll fight you any day!”

Having reached the entrance of the hut, Sesshomaru finally paused and looked at him. “As entertaining as that sounds, it is time you realized that I no longer have any desire to kill you. Be not a fool, Inuyasha. I had thought I’d made that obvious by now, on multiple occasions. Moreover, you have proven yourself useful, hanyou, in more ways than one. So relinquish your fears of me; they are needless.”

Then Sesshomaru vanished inside his hut, leaving Inuyasha alone to allow those words to sink in. Useful? In more ways than one? Sure, he’d helped to defeat Naraku, and he supposed that taking care of Rin was being useful. That must be what Sesshomaru had meant. So why did Inuyasha get the feeling that he was missing something?

“Master Inuyasha!”

Inuyasha glanced down to find Rin panting next to him, having bounded up the hill with an armful of firewood. It would be the first night that it was cold enough to use the small stash of chopped logs that Sango and Miroku had generously given him. Soon, he’d have to chop his own for the winter.

“Is this enough, Master Inuyasha?”

Inuyasha ruffled her hair fondly, then relieved her of most of her burden. “Yeah, kid. It’s plenty.”

If there was one thing that Inuyasha could say for Rin, it was that she was fairly independent and preferred to contribute to the village, to carry her own weight. She’d catch her own fish and pick her own berries (not that she would’ve gone hungry otherwise; Kaede fed her every day), helped the village women with weaving and in the gardens (as long as Inuyasha or Kaede were there, too, as she wasn’t very trusting of other humans just yet), and trained to be a healer under Kaede (she was already helping to brew Sango’s morning sickness draughts). She reminded Inuyasha of himself when he was a child what with her self-sufficiency. She obviously wasn’t as kick-ass, but she had determination.

Jaken came scrambling up the hill with exactly two fire logs hefted over his shoulder. Inuyasha snorted, but decided against tormenting the toad. The sky was beginning to darken, and he needed to get Rin out of this wind. But he couldn’t resist knocking the cretin upside the head when he squawked, “Out of my way, half-breed! I need to light a fire for Lord Sesshomaru and little Rin!” He and Rin ignored his protests as they walked around to the entrance of the hut.

Sesshomaru had been alone in the hut for nearly a full minute (far too long for Inuyasha’s comfort). When Inuyasha walked in, it seemed as though the hut was far too small for Sesshomaru, or maybe Sesshomaru was simply too large for the hut. It felt crowded; which was odd, because he’d had Sango and Miroku over an it’d seemed just fine. Although Sesshomaru wasn’t physically much larger than the others, his… presence certainly was. At the moment, the demon lord was observing the area around their sleeping mats littered with Shippo and Rin’s crayon drawings. They were so proud of them that Inuyasha couldn’t bring himself to chuck them, so he usually waited a few days for them to pile up and then gathered them and stored them away somewhere. He hadn’t gotten around to cleaning up this batch yet. There were plenty of portraits of Inuyasha and Sesshomaru and others that they knew lying around, but Sesshomaru was gazing at one in particular.

“Do you like them, Lord Sesshomaru?” Rin asked, dropping off her firewood in the fire pit and darting to Sesshomaru’s side. If the asshole didn’t say yes then Inuyasha would tear him a new one.

“They are eye-catching.” Sesshomaru said strategically, then gestured to the one at his feet. “And what of this one?”

Rin bent to retrieve the drawing and held it up for Sesshomaru to look at more closely. When Inuyasha got a good look at it, he blushed to the roots of his hair at the implications of the image and was overcome with a sick feeling.

“This is a picture of everyone I love!” Rin exclaimed. “Over here, Mrs. Sango and Mr. Miroku are holding hands because they love each other very much, and Kohaku is with them, and that’s Kirara on his shoulder. And over here, Lady Kaede and Shippo are holding hands because they are very good friends. And up here, mama and papa are in heaven. And there’s Master Jaken and A-Un in the back. And in the middle, I’m holding hands with Lord Sesshomaru and Master Inuyasha!”

Inuyasha scrubbed a hand over his face. He’d have to have a talk with Rin about how she made he and Sesshomaru look like loving parents of a child. The drawing may not be life-like, per se, but it captured their likenesses perfectly, and it didn’t help that she’d drawn her papa over Sesshomaru’s head and her mama over Inuyasha’s. Sesshomaru must’ve spotted the analogy as well, otherwise the drawing wouldn’t have captured his attention. Inuyasha cleared his throat and turned around to help Jaken build a fire.

“May I keep it, Rin?”

Inuyasha nearly dropped the log he’d just picked up.

“Of course, Lord Sesshomaru! I can draw another one.”

Inuyasha could hear Sesshomaru fold the drawing, presumably to tuck it into his kimono. Why the hell would he want to keep it? Did he do that just to please Rin? He must have; he only really cared about one person in the entire picture, two if you count the demon himself, and merely tolerated the rest. Like the rest of Sesshomaru’s odd behavior, Inuyasha didn’t look into it too much and focused on arranging the logs. What he couldn’t ignore, however, was Sesshomaru’s scent. Now that they were out of the wind and packed into the little hut, it was almost cloying. Same as always - woodsy, sharp, powerful - but more intense and more musky than he’d ever smelled it. And while it still wasn’t nearly unpleasant, it was becoming a bit overwhelming. Inuyasha breathed though his mouth and retrieved something from his stash of personal things. 

As Inuyasha crouched in front of the logs with the box of matches, he was aware that the futuristic tool had the other three in the hut watching him aptly, waiting to see what the strange tiny sticks with the red tips would do. He plucked one of the matches from the rest and struck it a couple of times against the rough strip on the side until fire engulfed the red tip. Thinking of Kagome, he placed the match on the dryest log and moved to light another.

“Wow, Master Inuyasha! You created fire!” Rin exclaimed in awe, clapping.

“What sorcery is this?!” Jaken demanded. “Striking deals with witches, are you?”

Inuyasha flicked the little demon’s forehead. “Shut up, imp. They’re called matches. Kagome brought them back from her era.” Inuyasha lit another and placed it amongst the logs. “If you think this blows your mind, you should see some of the other stuff she brought back. Shippo’s still got a lot -“

“Ha! A likely story. You’re claiming that that human could travel through time? Preposterous! You make up lies because your prieste-“

“Jaken.” Sesshomaru said sharply.

“Y-Yes, Milord?”

“Silence.”

“Yes, Milord.”

Inuyasha’s eyebrows disappeared underneath his bangs. Did Sesshomaru just defend him, or had he simply grown tired of hearing that grating voice? Certainly the latter, right?

“Please don’t be mean, Master Jaken,” Rin begged, “Lady Kagome was amazing, and Master Inuyasha misses her terribly.”

Jaken’s quiet scoff was drowned out by Inuyasha’s growl of frustration. With the fire lit, he stood and made to put away the match box. His brother’s presence and his abnormal behavior was making him uneasy. “You’ve checked on Rin, Sesshomaru. She’s fine, see? So can you go now?”

When Inuyasha turned to face Sesshomaru, his expression was as unreadable as ever. “I will -“

But at that moment, Sesshomaru’s scent became too much for Inuyasha, as he’d forgotten he was supposed to be breathing through his mouth. Sesshomaru definitely did not belong in small huts. With a sneeze, Inuyasha covered his nose with the sleeve of his robe. “What the hell is up with your scent? Why is it so strong? I can’t breathe.”

Sesshomaru, for a moment, seemed mildly surprised, but he quickly reined it in. “What an ironic question, Inuyasha.”

“Ironic how?” Inuyasha asked, still speaking through his sleeve.

Sesshomaru didn’t answer right away. He regarded Inuyasha for a moment, face impassive, before saying, “It is not of importance at present. Rin.”

Inuyasha’s grumbling went ignored as Sesshomaru addressed Rin, who was by his side in an instant, her large eyes reflecting the dancing flames. “Yes, my lord?”

“I will visit again during the winter. Fare well.”

Rin smiled. “I will see you in the winter, my lord. Be safe!”

With one last silent look at Inuyasha, Sesshomaru strode from the hut, Jaken hot on his heels.

“Goodbye, Master Jaken!” Rin called. “I’ll miss you!”

“Behave yourself, Rin!” Jaken called back. 

“I will, I promise!”

Inuyasha humphed, dropped down in front of the fire pit, and watched Rin wave from the entrance, lost in thought. Sesshomaru had said the same thing the last time he’d visited. He knew something about Inuyasha that he, for whatever reason, was unwilling to tell him. 

____________________________________

Autumn came and went, and the air grew icy. The forest was still and quiet, the trees layered with frost and snow. Large bundles of firewood that Inuyasha had chopped were stacked against the side of the hut, and large sackfuls of grain that had been stored for the winter lay inside the hut. Sango’s belly was larger than Inuyasha would’ve thought possible; she was due any day now. The village was excited. 

Inuyasha watched Rin and Shippo make snow angels in the thick snowfall. He’d ensured that they’d both been made winter attire; especially Rin, who was more vulnerable to the cold. As she squealed with laughter, her breath condensated into dense white puffs in the winter air.

There was a groan from next to him as Kaede lowered herself to the floor. She’d wrapped herself in thick layers of clothing as well.

“Kaede. To what do I owe the pleasure?”

“Can an old woman not visit her neighbors as she pleases?”

Inuyasha scoffed, but he couldn’t fool old Kaede. She knew that she was one of his closest friends.

“I wanted to see the children enjoy the snow. Rin seems to be doing well.”

Inuyasha shrugged. “She still doesn’t have any friends outside of Shippo and Kohaku, but she’s not so scared of strangers anymore.”

Kaede smiled softly. “She is happy, Inuyasha. I can tell. Ye make her happy.” 

Inuyasha tensed. “The kid’s happy by nature. I don’t have much to do with it.”

Kaede sighed and scooted back away from the entry and closer to the crackling fire. “That is not true, Inuyasha. The girl adores ye. During mealtimes, she speaks only of ye, of ‘Master Inuyasha’ and what kind of fun she’s had with ye since she last saw me.”

Inuyasha couldn’t help but feel warmth at the words. He didn’t respond, didn’t know how to. For nearly half a year, he’d been looking after this girl, and she was so… so innocent and vulnerable, and he didn’t know when it’d happened, but he knew he’d do anything to protect that, to protect her. Not only that, but spending time with her gave him this content and responsible feeling. Like the world wasn’t so bad, if she could exist. Like there was hope. He hadn’t felt that way since before Kagome left, but that had been different. His feelings for Kagome had been romantic, whereas his feelings for Rin were… they were….

“Master Inuyasha, look!”

Snapped out of his thoughts, Inuyasha watched Rin and Shippo place the final touches on a lumpy mound of snow that they’d shaped into… something. He cocked his head to the side to look at it from a different angle, but he still couldn’t tell what the hell it was.

“Wow, guys, that’s… that’s really… wow.”

Shippo laughed. “It’s you, Inuyasha!”

Inuyasha straightened his head and narrowed his eyes. Sure enough, he could make out two pointy triangles atop his “head.” The eyes were two rocks with fire logs for eyebrows, which were angled into an angry expression. The mouth was a row of firewood set into a straight line. He looked like a pissed off melting snowman with dog ears.

“Why’d you make me look so mean?”

“I made it from memory!” Shippo insisted. One of the eyebrows promptly fell off and disappeared into the snow with a dull thump.

“You don’t like it, Master Inuyasha?”

Inuyasha paused, taken aback. The kid didn’t look heartbroken by any means, but there was still no way he was telling her her art was anything but good. From what he could tell, she’d composed the overall form of the statue, and Shippo had been responsible for constructing that ugly face.

“Don’t be discouraged, Rin. He is simply shocked by its resemblance to himself.”

An orb of pure energy had come shooting from the sky into the space between Inuyasha’s hut and the children and had materialized into Sesshomaru. Inuyasha wasn’t nearly as surprised as the last time; he’d been expecting him ever since the first snow. It took the same amount of time for Rin to ecstatically leap up and greet him as it did for his taunting words to register. It was the closest to joking that he’d ever seen Sesshomaru come.

“Hey! Whoever that thing looks like, it ain’t me! Looks more like you!”

Sesshomaru pointedly ignored him, but Shippo looked thoughtfully between Sesshomaru and the statue. After updating Sesshomaru on the exciting details of her little village life, Rin scampered off to continue playing with Shippo so that Sesshomaru could speak with Inuyasha.

Inuyasha watched the other demon approach warily, hoping that he’d stay outside so that Inuyasha wouldn’t be smothered by that scent. His sword hand itched to seize the Tetsusaiga, but he managed to resist the urge. Inuyasha didn’t think an icy bastard like Sesshomaru even felt the cold, so he didn’t think he’d seek the warmth of the fire inside. It seemed he was correct, as Sesshomaru halted a few feet away from where Inuyasha and Kaede sat. Kaede decided to take her leave, grunting as she stood, her old joints popping.

“I think I shall go check on Sango. Mitsu or Takeyasu will be born very soon.”

Well, she totally threw him under the bus. Then again, Inuyasha couldn’t blame her. She was no fool; she knew that it was unwise as a human to remain in the company of Sesshomaru unless he so asked. From his seat on his futon, Inuyasha looked up into the face of his towering brother. His scent was back to normal intensity, but still betraying an increase in power, and still, Inuyasha thought grudgingly, more pleasant.

“Well? You just gonna stand there?”

Sesshomaru seemed to take that as an invitation to sit on the futon next to him where Kaede had been. Inuyasha had to make an effort not to cringe away; Sesshomaru had previously only ever been this close when he was trying to stab a hole through his chest. The demon lowered himself fluidly into a cross-legged position, his larger form only just fitting on the futon. He seemed to be studying the murky sky. His scent was very strong.

“Rin is happy.”

Inuyasha scoffed. “Great observation. Kids like snow.”

“She is happy in her heart.” Sesshomaru clarified. “I am relieved.”

“Yeah, well, it doesn’t take much.” Inuyasha said, intending for the words to be a jab at Sesshomaru, but they somehow missed the mark and became more of a jab at himself.

“Is it so hard to accept that she needs you, Inuyasha?” Sesshomaru asked, still looking at the clouds. “That you make her life better? Better than I could have?”

Inuyasha stared at Sesshomaru, caught off guard by his almost solemn tone. Something was off. He felt strangely unnerved at being treated with decency by him. 

“Alright, cut the crap, Sesshomaru. Why are you being so… so nice, all of a sudden? I noticed it last time, too. You hate me, remember? I’m the filthy half-breed stain on the noble bloodline. You’ve hated me since before I was born. What the hell are you up to, acting like you give a damn about me?”

To his surprise, Sesshomaru didn’t respond to his outburst by flinging an insult at him or getting angry at all. Instead, he visibly contemplated his answer with an air of calmness. Inuyasha waited tensely. Sesshomaru never looked at him.

“Between the summer and the autumn, my mother passed away.”

Inuyasha gasped. He blinked, unsure of what to do. This seemed like a situation in which you’d comfort someone, but this wasn’t someone, this was Sesshomaru. Why was he telling him this? Had he even loved his mother? Did it matter? She was his mother. If he wasn’t devastated, he was at least hurt. Sesshomaru continued before he could think of something worth while to say.

“I was forced to recognized that you, a half demon born of an affair, are the only family remaining to me. I gained introspection. I no longer blame you for Father’s infidelity. Your heritage is unfortunate, but you are not at fault. Therefore, I have opted to acquaint myself with you without drawing judgement from Father’s sins or your mixed blood. I have already been proven wise for that decision.”

Inuyasha couldn’t believe what he was hearing. He had to be dreaming. It had taken for Sesshomaru’s mother to die and for him to have no one else to turn to for him to realize that Inuyasha wasn’t responsible for the circumstances of his birth? And for that, he claims he’s been “proven wise”?

“What, you mean because of me taking care of Rin? I’m more than just a homemaker, you know.”

“Indeed. Do not be crass, Inuyasha, I offered you a compliment.”

Inuyasha was floored with indignation. “Me, crass? Did you meet yourself a year ago? You can’t seriously expect me to just drop everything.”

“I expect you to drop your childishness, but I understand that I will continue to be disappointed.” Sesshomaru said cruelly, a hint of his old annoyance back in his voice.

“You’re still an asshole.” Inuyasha sneered. “I don’t know why I thought for even a second that you’d changed. Tch. Like I care.”

A breeze sent Sesshomaru’s hair fluttering over his ever-impassive face. When it calmed, he still had not a hair out of place. “And yet, your scent carries sorrow.”

Inuyasha couldn’t help but physically lean back, appalled. “You can smell my emotions?!” He demanded, too disturbed to even bother denying the accusation.

The barest smirk graced Sesshomaru’s lips for a split second before vanishing. Inuyasha thought that he’d have laughed, if he were capable.

“I had been curious whether your senses were as powerful as mine. Now I know for certain.”

Before Inuyasha could come up with a response to that absolute mind-fuck, the quick thumps of footsteps in the snow approaching them had them both turning their attention to Rin, who was panting and pink-cheeked from the cold and smiling widely. She pointed proudly. “Look, Lord Sesshomaru! We made you, too! See? You’re smiling!”

What followed would go down in the books as the funniest moment of Inuyasha’s life. The Sesshomaru statue was larger than his own, but that was its only redeeming quality. It was near-formless and lumpy, doing Sesshomaru’s real form absolutely no credit whatsoever. The eyebrows were angled even more sharply than Inuyasha’s had been, and the mouth was turned into the most wicked of grins that split the face from ear to ear with a bunch of pointy logs for teeth, which Shippo was still adding. It was one evil-looking motherfucker. Sesshomaru lifted one eyebrow, and Inuyasha lost it. He couldn’t even belt out a cry of laughter; he descended straight into wheezing for a full half a minute before he could catch enough breath to scream with laughter. He fell onto his back, tears in his eyes, punching the floor.

“Master Inuyasha, you’re so happy!” Said Rin gleefully. Inuyasha could only nod, unable to form words through peals of laughter.

Sesshomaru granted him a few moments of unadulterated joy before asking, “Is it truly so amusing, Inuyasha?”

“Yes,” Inuyasha wheezed, clutching his stomach, “I can’t breathe… Sesshomaru, go stand beside it and see if we can tell you apart!”

The last word was nothing more than a wheeze. Sesshomaru just watched him, his thoughts, as always, a secret.

Once Inuyasha’s laughter had finally subsided, his diaphragm ached horribly, but it had been worth it. 

“Oh Kami,” He sighed, studying the Sesshomaru statue with reverence. “I wish I had one of those cameras Kagome was always talking about.”

“Camera?” Rin repeated curiously.

“It’s this contraption that -“

Just then, one of the village women came barreling around the back of the hut, cutting him off. She seemed excited, but at the sight of Sesshomaru, she paled and stopped dead in her tracks. Inuyasha didn’t have to be able to smell fear to sense that it was thick in the air.

“Suke?” Inuyasha prompted.

“Um…” her eyes trained on him, but darted to Sesshomaru frequently. “Sango has gone into labor.”

Inuyasha gasped, Shippo cheered, and Rin squealed with delight.

“Fuck. Okay, tell Miroku I’ll be there in a minute.”

Suke nodded, seemingly relieved to be able to flee from Sesshomaru’s presence. When Inuyasha turned to look at him, he was already standing.

“Wait, Sesshomaru.” Inuyasha said, then mentally kicked himself. Why hadn’t he just let the asshole go? He rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. He wasn’t good with words of consolation, no less to a guy who’d wanted him dead for most of his life. Why did he even care? He cleared his throat and met the older demon’s burning eyes. “Your mother….”

Sesshomaru broke their eye contact and looked at the sky. “Spare me your pity, Inuyasha. I did not love her as you loved your own mother… nonetheless, she was important to me.”

Inuyasha guessed that was Sesshomaru’s way of conveying his appreciation without actually saying thank you, because he understood. And while Inuyasha hadn’t actually spoken any words of comfort, perhaps it was enough that Sesshomaru knew that he’d felt compassion for him, no matter how fleeting.

“Rin, I will visit again in the spring. Your birthday is mid-spring, is it not?”

Rin nodded, looking immensely pleased.

“Fare well.”

Sesshomaru’s form condensed into a white orb, and he propelled across the sky, vanishing from view. Rin waved after him.

“Goodbye, Lord Sesshomaru! Be safe!”

Inuyasha stared into the clouds where the orb had disappeared from view thoughtfully until he felt an urgent tug on his hand and looked down, annoyed at the little fox demon.

“What is it, Shippo?”

“Sango, idiot! Remember?”

Inuyasha’s eyes widened. “Oh, crap.”


	2. 2

“It’s springtime out in the village meadow… Rin and Master Inuyasha watch the flowers grow… Rin likes the little pink ones… She gives Master Inuyasha the pretty blue ones… hum hum hummm, hum, hum hum hummm, hum….”

A gentle breeze sent ripples through the tall grass and the flowers. Inuyasha closed his eyes and felt the breeze wash over him, briefly counteracting the rays of sunlight shining over the wide, open meadow. Tiny, deft fingers flitted through his thick mane, wrestling it into a braid. Inuyasha tolerated the tugs on his scalp because it kept Rin happy and occupied, allowing Inuyasha a moment of rest. She was gentle to the best of her abilities, though. He only winced a couple of times.

As Rin hummed about the flowers, Inuyasha looked down at the bouquet she’d arranged for him in his lap. With one hand he fiddled with the ripped stems, wondering. Only innocent children like Rin could pick flowers and think they were her friends afterwards. She didn’t realize that picking the flowers meant killing them yet. Once her innocence faded, she would learn that. Inuyasha preferred not to think about it.

“You done back there yet?”

Rin giggled. “Almost. Be patient, Master Inuyasha.”

Inuyasha grumbled at being scolded by an eight-year-old, but sat still.

The next breeze carried with it the scent of something nice and nearly familiar, and it had Inuyasha’s nose twitching until he recognized the scent of the demon, and it was coming closer. Inuyasha huffed. The only thing that annoyed him more than the presence of Sesshomaru was the fact that he enjoyed his scent. That was something he’d take with him to his grave. But on the bright side, finally, for once, Sesshomaru wouldn’t sneak up on him.

Rin pulled her own hair band from her hair and used it to bind Inuyasha’s braid. “All done! You look so pretty, Master Inuyasha!”

Inuyasha hoped she hadn’t said that loud enough for Sesshomaru to hear. He turned to face her. “Don’t say that, it’s weird.”

Rin tilted her head, confused. “Why?”

“‘Cause I’m a guy.” 

“Well, you’re a pretty guy.”

“Rin!” Inuyasha scolded, embarrassed, but Rin only grinned.

“It’s okay, Master Inuyasha, I won’t tell anyone else.”

Inuyasha pursed his lips. She didn’t get the point, but he decided not to push the issue further, lest an unwanted eavesdropper hear what they were talking about.

“Sesshomaru’s on his way.” He said, hoping to distract her. “He’ll be here any minute now.”

Rin’s face lit up, and she shot to her feet and spun in a circle, scanning the trees surrounding the meadow. “Really? How do you know?”

“I can smell him.” 

Rin’s jaw dropped. She stuck her nose in the air and took a great, long sniff, as if maybe she could smell him, too. When she failed to pick up anything, she dropped back onto the cushion of the thick grass, looking dejectedly at the sky. “All I can smell is flowers. What does Lord Sesshomaru smell like?”

Inuyasha tensed, the question rendering him instantly uncomfortable. There was no way he could be completely honest, that’d be a nightmare. “I dunno, just… like Sesshomaru. Why do you care?”

Rin shrugged. “I’m curious. Please tell me! Please, please -“

“Alright!” Inuyasha conceded, now regretting mentioning Sesshomaru at all. “He smells like… like something sharp.”

Rin lifted her head from the grass to give him a questioning look. “How does something smell sharp?”

He should’ve seen that coming. “He just does. Sharp and woodsy and musky.”

“Musky?”

Inuyasha had to resist the urge to slap a palm to his forehead. 

“I ain’t doing this. Look it up. Ask Kaede or something.”

Rin sat up and hugged her knees, looking mildly disappointed. “But Lady Kaede doesn’t know what Lord Sesshomaru smells like. She can’t tell when he’s on his way like you can.”

Inuyasha folded his arms stubbornly. “Here’s an idea: ask Sesshomaru what he smells like. He should know better than anyone.”

Just like that, the kid’s glum expression brightened. “Okay! When will he get here?”

A short sniff was enough to dominate Inuyasha’s senses, and he scrunched his nose. His gaze swept across the tree line around the meadow suspiciously. “He’s here. We just can’t see him yet.”

A rustling sound drew Inuyasha’s attention to his brother’s arrival from the trees behind them, not looking at all as though he’d just tromped through the forest.

“Lord Sesshomaru!” Rin exclaimed, clambering to her feet and sprinting through the tall grass, only her head visible. As she stopped in front of Sesshomaru to swiftly bow, it vanished from sight for a split second before popping back up.

Sesshomaru looked at Inuyasha as he spoke. “Rin, I see that you are enjoying the spring.”

“Uh-huh! Isn’t Master Inuyasha’s hair lovely?”

This time, Inuyasha couldn’t resist dropping his forehead into his palm. She really hadn’t gotten his point earlier.

Movement in his periphery had Inuyasha looking up warily. Unlike Rin, who felt not an inkling of fear in Sesshomaru’s presence, Inuyasha still had to fight the urge to leap up and draw his sword. He tensed as Sesshomaru drew nearer, his anxiety spiking. Consciously, he was aware by now that Sesshomaru wasn’t going to attack him, but subconsciously, when he thought about the other demon, all he could see were eyes full of burning hatred and poisonous claws aimed at his heart.

When Sesshomaru reached him, Inuyasha stared up at him defiantly, knowing that he could smell his apprehension but refusing to outwardly show it. He did, however, flinch when Sesshomaru reached one of those sharply clawed hands towards his face. Sesshomaru faltered at the motion, then continued more slowly, until he’d reached behind Inuyasha’s head and plucked something from his braided hair. Inuyasha held his breath. When he drew his arm back, a dainty blue flower was clasped between his fingers. He studied it curiously while Inuyasha rounded on Rin, his face hot.

“You put flowers in my hair?”

Rin innocently touched her bottom lip like she hadn’t realized she’d done anything wrong. Inuyasha groaned, reeling with humiliation. He fully expected Sesshomaru to sneer out some quip about being girlish or weak. Instead, he simply gave a thoughtful, “hm,” and allowed the flower to flutter down into Inuyasha’s lap. 

“This softness is certainly more befitting of you than your usual brash demeanor.”

Inuyasha bristled. “And what the hell’s that supposed to mean?”

“Why do you feel so defensive, Inuyasha?”

“Keh!” Was all that Inuyasha could bring himself to say to that. The bastard acted as though until recently every time he’d opened his mouth to speak to him it hadn’t been to insult him. As though until last summer, every time he reached a hand in his direction it hadn’t been to strike him. Well, Inuyasha wouldn’t forget so easily. If Sesshomaru wanted to turn a new leaf and be something other than a murderous asshole, great for him, but he was out of his mind if he expected Inuyasha to trust him so easily. If he wanted trust from him he was going to have to earn it, he was going to have to acknowledge how he’d treated him in the past. That would probably happen when hell froze over. Arms still crossed, Inuyasha disregarded Sesshomaru and looked at Rin.

“He’s all yours. I’m gonna go visit Mitsu and Akemi. Sango and Miroku would probably appreciate me taking them off their hands for a little while.”

As Inuyasha made to stand, more rustling came from the tree line. A second later came the whining voice of the toad, “Lord Sesshomaruuu! Lord Sess… Sesshoma… ru, Lord Se -“

Having erupted blindly from the forest, the little demon opened his eyes and found Sesshomaru, and was instantly rejuvenated. “Lord Sesshomaru! Oh, and Rin, too!”

‘Screw me, I guess,’ thought Inuyasha.

“Thank the heavens, I got lost! I had to follow your scent!” 

“Ooh!” Squealed Rin. “Ooh, Master Jaken! Can you tell me what Lord Sesshomaru smells like?”

Jaken paused, his bald little brow furrowed. “Huh?”

“I’m curious,” said Rin, having no clue how creepy it sounded to ask how someone smells, “it’s amazing that demons know someone just by their scent! Lord Sesshomaru, Master Inuyasha said to ask you what you smell like.”

If Rin had been a little older, that would’ve gotten her a flick on the forehead. As it was, Inuyasha clenched his fists, this time certain he was blushing. “You make it sound like I’m the one who wants to know!”

Rin payed him no mind, looking up at Sesshomaru with anticipation.

“A redundant question,” Sesshomaru intoned, “considering Inuyasha has already described my scent himself. What was it you said, Inuyasha? Sharp, woodsy, and musky, was it not?”

Inuyasha took a panicked step back as though he’d been caught with his hand in the cookie jar. His cheeks were aflame. “You’re a damn stalker, Sesshomaru!”

Jaken jumped up and down angrily. “Says you, insolent half-breed! Relaying Lord Sesshomaru’s scent like that! You should be struck down!”

Inuyasha cracked his knuckles. “I’ll strike you down, imp -“

“Enough.” said Sesshomaru calmly but with unquestionable authority. Oddly enough, Inuyasha found himself winding down just a bit. At the least, he didn’t pummel the little toad. “Rin, your birthday has arrived, correct? I have something for you. Come.”

Sesshomaru turned and strode back towards the forest, Rin following happily after him.

“Jaken, fetch A-Un.”

“Yes, milord!” 

As the toad scampered ahead, Sesshomaru addressed Inuyasha over his shoulder. “I will return Rin before sundown.”

With a beaming smile, Rin turned to wave him goodbye, then ran to catch up with Sesshomaru. 

Inuyasha watched them go uneasily. It was the first time that Rin had left the village without him since he’d started looking after her. Inuyasha wasn’t a fool; if anyone could keep her safe, it was Sesshomaru; but still, he wasn’t sure he liked her leaving home without him. If she was hurt, he wouldn’t even know….

Maybe because he’d already said he was going to do it, or maybe to distract himself from his needless worry for Rin, Inuyasha dropped by Sango and Miroku’s hut to offer to watch the twins for the day, taking out his flowery braid on the way there. His poor friends were up to their necks in nappies and spit-up and could use the odd day off. They were more than happy to hand the babies off to him for a while.

“Thank you so much, Inuyasha.” Sango gushed as he left their hut with babbling bundles of Mitsu and Akemi and a bagful of nappies and milk. Her once sleek hair looked a bit unkempt. “I can finally clean up a bit and take a nice, long nap.”

Miroku appeared next to her in the entryway, looking no better himself, with dark circles underneath his eyes. “And I can finally have some alone time with my lovely wife.”

“Once a lech, always a lech.” Inuyasha said with an unimpressed stare. He should probably beat it before Miroku started stroking Sango’s rear. “I’ll bring them back around sundown. You guys… relax.”

“No problem.” Miroku said, sniggering as Sango gave Inuyasha an apologetic look and dragged her husband inside the hut.

Inuyasha looked at the babies, whose little arms were squirming within the blankets as they observed the outside world with wonder. “Well, I guess it’s just you and me, squirts. Rin’s with Sesshomaru, Kohaku and Shippo are out training, and your parents are busy making another you. Hey, whaddaya say we go bug old Kaede?”

“Mm bab bab,” Akemi said.

“Couldn’t agree more.”

______________________________

“It seems ye have a way with children, Inuyasha.” Kaede observed while stirring the pot of stew boiling over the fire.

The twins were sleeping soundly in his arms after he’d given them each a bottle. Inuyasha didn’t mind taking the time to rock them to sleep; he’d ended up enjoying babies more than he’d thought he would. It probably had something to do with the fact that he only had to care for them for a short time, as opposed to Sango and Miroku spending every waking moment with them.

“Nah, they’re just tuckered out after eating. Speaking of eating….”

Inuyasha’s stomach grumbled insistently.

“Supper is nearly done.” Kaede assured him patiently. Inuyasha distantly watched her add crushed spices to the stew for a while. The sunlight filtering through the entryway grew less and less bright.

“Shouldn’t Rin be back soon? It’s getting late.”

Kaede chuckled. “Worry not, Inuyasha. Lord Sesshomaru said by sundown, did he not? The sun has not yet reached the trees.”

Inuyasha worried his bottom lip between his teeth. Rin had told him of the times she’d almost died under Sesshomaru’s care - and of the times she had died. Sesshomaru may be powerful, but Rin’s being harmed wasn’t out of the range of possibility. But perhaps he was worrying too much. They’d hardly been gone for more than an hour. It wasn’t like Rin was his, anyway. One day she’d grow old and Inuyasha would hardly look any different than he did now. Despite knowing that, though, Inuyasha’s heart wouldn’t listen. Who was he kidding? If you raise a kid, you’re eventually gonna feel like it’s your kid. 

“I’ve never seen ye so pensive, Inuyasha.” Kaede teased. She’d probably expected Inuyasha to snap out of it and hurl an insult back at her, but as he looked at her, an image of a little girl with mistrustful eyes holding her big sister’s arrows appeared in his mind.

“Kaede, it doesn’t feel like it’s been fifty-three years since we met.”

“Well, of course,” said the old lady, still stirring spices into the stew, “for ye, it has only been three years. The year before Kikyo sealed ye to the tree, and the two years since the seal was removed by Kagome. On my part, however, I can hardly remember a time that I didn’t know ye.”

“Yeah, but…” Inuyasha huffed, frustrated. He hated talking about his feelings, but if there was anyone he could trust with confidentiality, it was Kaede. “I mean, even before I met Kikyo, I hadn’t really aged much in fifty years. I’m over two hundred years old, but I still look and feel like a teenager. What if… what if in another fifty years, you’re gone, and Sango and Miroku and Rin and even Mitsu and Akemi all have grandkids? They’ll all be on their way out the door, too, but me… I’ll still look the same.”

While Inuyasha solemnly watched the slowly setting sun, Kaede set aside the stew spoon and crossed her legs underneath her. She steepled her fingers thoughtfully.

“This is about Rin, is it not?”

Inuyasha tensed. “No.”

“You see her as a daughter. That is why the thought of her surpassing ye in age is troubling ye.”

“It’s about me. It’s about everyone else. Everyone I’ve ever known will either die before I hit adulthood or outlive me by millennia. How am I ever supposed to belong anywhere? How can I accept Rin as a daughter when I know she’ll get old while I’m still young?”

Mitsu chose that moment to begin stirring. She made whining noises that warned of wailing if she was not given attention. With a sigh, Inuyasha stood and handed off the still sleeping Akemi to Kaede. 

“I don’t want Mitsu to wake her up. I’ll come back when she’s calmed down.”

Inuyasha picked up the bag with the babies’ things. Before he could go outside, Kaede called after him.

“Inuyasha… the answer to your question is simple. Rin will always be your daughter. Even when she has children of her own, even when she is old and wise, she will need you. Even in death, she will be your daughter. The bond between you cannot be broken by time.”

Inuyasha felt as though something large were squeezing his chest. Mitsu began fussing more loudly, and with a grateful glance at Kaede, Inuyasha stepped outside before Mitsu could disturb her sister.

The air outside was refreshingly cool and thick with the scent of Sesshomaru.

“Master Inuyasha!”

Rin came barreling over from the hill at the edge of the village, some kind of strange new necklace swinging to and fro around her neck, and Inuyasha felt relief settle in his gut. On top of the hill stood Sesshomaru, watching silently. He’d always been hesitant to enter the village. He’d usually step in just long enough to call Inuyasha a fool in one way or another and then bid Rin goodbye, but perhaps he wasn’t in the mood today. It was as Sesshomaru turned to leave that Inuyasha sensed it - Tenseiga was radiating power. It was responding to something. Had someone died? Was Sesshomaru in danger? The demon lord offered no explanation and did not seem caught off guard by his sword’s signals. He vanished over the crest of the hill where Jaken and A-Un must’ve been waiting.

“Master Inuyasha, the baby is upset.” Rin pointed out, peering with concern into Inuyasha’s arms where Mitsu was squirming.

“Yeah, yeah,” Inuyasha said absently, still feeling Tenseiga’s power from over the hill. Figuring that maybe Mitsu needed to be burped, he slung a cloth from the bag over his shoulder and held her there to pat her back. “I’m working on it. What did Sesshomaru give you?”

“Oh!” Beaming, Rin removed the strange necklace she wore and held it up so that Inuyasha could see what dangled from the delicately woven chain more closely. It looked like a tiny silver flute. “It’s a whistle! Lord Sesshomaru said to use it if I’m ever in trouble in case he’s too far away to hear my voice.”

“Hm. I guess that’s useful. Not that you’ll ever need it, ‘slong as I’m around.”

Not at all disheartened, Rin slipped the chain back around her neck and tucked the whistle into her kimono. “Just in case, Master Inuyasha. What if you were in danger and needed Lord Sesshomaru’s help?”

Inuyasha scoffed. “I’ll never be that desperate. Besides, you’re dreaming if you think he’d ever come to save me.”

Rin’s brow furrowed. “He would, Master Inuyasha. I know it.”

Rin looked slightly downtrodden, and Inuyasha knew he’d made a mistake in saying what he’d said. He should’ve just changed the subject. He felt guilty for sullying her excitement, so forced a smile.

“You know what? I bet supper is done by now. Kaede’s made your favorite for your birthday.”

Rin’s face brightened. “Lady Kaede’s special beef stew? Yes!”

“Just try to be quiet when you go in, alright? Akime is still sleeping.”

“Okay.” Rin whispered with a grin, theatrically tip-toeing into the hut.

After a few minutes, when Sesshomaru’s scent had faded and Mitsu had burped, Inuyasha allowed himself a private moment of thought. Not that he cared, but he was curious… would Sesshomaru save him, if the situation ever arose? It was hard to say. A couple of years ago the answer would’ve been no, without a doubt. In fact, he’d probably have found himself a nice front-row seat to witness his demise. Or maybe not, since he’d always said that he’d be the one to kill him. So perhaps he’d have first slain whatever was threatening Inuyasha and then kill him himself. But now, things were more complicated. Rin had smoothed some of Sesshomaru’s sharp edges, and his mother’s death had apparently knocked a bit of sense into him. He’d claimed that he didn’t want to kill him anymore, but did that mean he’d save him if need be? Eventually, Inuyasha came to the conclusion that the answer was yes, but not out of any sort of affection for him. No, he’d do it for Rin, because Rin would want him to. That was fine by Inuyasha. He didn’t care if Sesshomaru valued his life or not.

A yawn from Mitsu reminded him of his duty to the twins. The sun was low. As if on cue, Akemi’s wails sounded from within the hut, signaling that she was now awake as well. Rin appeared in the doorway a moment later with remnants of beef stew around her lips.

“Akemi is awake! I promise I was quiet, though.”

Inuyasha put away the burping cloth and went back inside the hut. “It’s okay. It’s time for them to go home, anyway.”

Kaede handed him the fussy baby. Inuyasha bounced her gently with one arm, which helped to calm her somewhat. “I’ll be back in a few minutes, Rin. It’s getting dark, so don’t go anywhere ‘til I get back.”

“I won’t.” Rin promised. “Goodbye Mitsu and Akemi!”

The babies, of course, had no idea that anyone was speaking to them, and cooed at nothing in particular. 

“They said bye. Now finish your stew, squirt. I’ve got something to give you, too, when I get back.”

Rin nodded with excitement and began shoveling stew into her mouth earnestly. Satisfied, Inuyasha stepped back outside and headed towards Sango and Miroku’s hut. A sniff of the air had him pausing, though. Why was Sesshomaru still here? He wasn’t out in the open, but he was unmistakably waiting somewhere close by. Inuyasha kept walking, suspicion in his every movement. He’d return the babies first, then confront his brother.

Sango opened the door before he could knock and scooped her children into her arms with a smile that was unmistakably relieved.

“Wow,” said Inuyasha, taken aback. “I thought you were glad to have them babysat for a while.”

“We were.” Miroku appeared behind Sango. He took Akemi from her to cuddle her to his chest. “But we missed them.”

“We got a little anxious.” Sango admitted apologetically. “Not that we don’t trust you! It’s just… well, it’s just -“

“I understand.” Said Inuyasha. And really, he did. “I fed them both about an hour ago. They were actually pretty good.”

Miroku laughed and let Akemi wrap her tiny hand around his index finger. “I suppose you two save all the tantrums for your parents, huh?”

Sango shifted Mitsu to one arm and used the other to wrap Inuyasha in a brief hug. “Thanks for watching them, really. I’m sure it won’t be long before we need another break.”

Without any warning, Akemi spit up white goop on Miroku’s chest. 

“Not long at all.” Miroku deadpanned. “See you tomorrow.”

Sango giggled. “Goodnight, Inuyasha. Tell Rin happy birthday from us.”

“Kid’s been spoiled enough, but alright. Goodnight.”

After leaving his friends, Inuyasha headed to his own hut instead of back to Kaede’s. He had a hunch that Sesshomaru was waiting for him there, a hunch that was proven correct as he got closer. 

Sesshomaru was sitting cross-legged in front of the fire pit. He had taken the liberty of starting a fire, it seemed. Inuyasha had a hard time picturing Sesshomaru preforming such a mundane task. Maybe Jaken had done it?

“Would you like to come in?” Sesshomaru asked sarcastically, not looking up from the fire. Frowning suspiciously, Inuyasha passed through the doorway, leaving it open so that the bulk of Sesshomaru’s scent could waft out. The fire cast dancing shadows across the older demon’s angular face.

“Yeah, it’s my hut.” Inuyasha dropped in front of the fire across from Sesshomaru, copying his pose. “I see you made yourself at home. Where’s the toad?”

“Jaken is waiting in the forest with A-Un. I shall return to him shortly. I wish to perform a test.”

Inuyasha leaned back slightly, narrowing his eyes. “What kind of test?”

Sesshomaru finally looked up from the fire, and his eyes almost glowed in the light. The intensity of them had Inuyasha’s heart doing flips in his chest. “Tell me, Inuyasha. Why did you bear such a personal grudge against Naraku, and he you? How did the priestess Kikyo and yourself become so entangled with him?”

Inuyasha tensed immediately at the mention of Kikyo. He was starkly reminded of how Sesshomaru had stood idly by when Naraku had tried to kill her on Mount Hakurei. 

“Why the hell would you want to know that? Naraku’s gone and Kikyo’s dead. It doesn’t matter anymore.”

“On the contrary, little brother, it matters very much. If you don’t understand why one studies history, you are a fool.”

“Then ask someone else!” Inuyasha snapped. “The entire village knows. I don’t want to talk about it, and especially not with you.”

“I do not wish for a second hand account. Do not cower from your past, Inuyasha.”

“I ain’t cowering from anything! What happened between Kikyo and I isn’t some lesson to be passed down, it’s my private life! You could never understand that because you don’t understand love.”

Sesshomaru’s scent grew abruptly sharper. He’d touched a nerve. “Do not presume to know what I understand. You claim to know love and yet yours earned you fifty years sealed to a tree by the very woman you loved. I’d heard that she died of injuries inflicted by you, as well.”

Inuyasha’s fists clenched. He itched to draw Tetsusaiga and wipe that uncaring look off Sesshomaru’s face; a battle would be favorable to this. But that would only prove the bastard’s point.

“That’s a lie. It was Naraku who inflicted the wounds that killed her.”

“And why did she then set out to kill you?”

Inuyasha bit the inside of his cheek. The fire crackled while Sesshomaru waited. What difference would it make? None at all. Sesshomaru’s knowing the truth wouldn’t change his opinion of him, and it certainly wouldn’t change the past. Still, Inuyasha knew that if he really wanted to, Sesshomaru would eventually get him to divulge the story one way or another. Better to put an end to this now than to let it drag on.

“I’ll tell you. But when I’m done, I don’t want to hear you spew on about how stupid I am. Just get the hell out of my hut.”

Sesshomaru didn’t answer. Inuyasha took the lack of dissent as an acceptance of his terms. He did his best to relax his taut muscles and cool his temper before he began. He couldn’t look Sesshomaru in the eye as he spoke, so he stared into the fire instead.

“Kikyo had been put in charge of guarding the sacred jewel from evil. She kept it pure. The dark priestess Tsubaki was overlooked in favor of Kikyo for that responsibility, and jealous of Kikyo’s power, Tsubaki placed a curse on Kikyo that if she ever fell in love with a man, she would meet a violent end. I came to know Kikyo when I tried to take the jewel, but I could never seem to kill her, and she could never seem to kill me, either. We became friends, and eventually we…. Anyway, meanwhile, Kikyo found a badly injured bandit named Onigumo at the bottom of a ravine and she cared for him in his dying days. I believe that Tsubaki’s curse is what led her to him. Onigumo was greedy, and he wanted two things: the sacred jewel and to possess Kikyo as his woman. He allowed countless demons to devour his body so that he could merge with them, and what came of that was Naraku. He spied on Kikyo and I, and he overheard that I wanted to use the jewel to become human so that I could be with her. We’d arranged a time to meet so that she could give me the jewel. Naraku was overcome with jealousy because I was going to have both of the things he wanted. He wanted to make Kikyo and I hate one another so that Kikyo’s hatred would defile the jewel and allow him to take it for himself, so he took on my form and visited Kikyo in the night, pretending to be me and saying that he wanted to meet sooner. She brought the jewel to our meeting place, and Naraku attacked her disguised as me and told her that I’d never had any desire to become human. Naraku took the jewel and put it back in the temple in the village, then disguised himself as Kikyo and came after me. He told me that she’d never love a half-demon, that she’d never give me the jewel. To get revenge, I attacked the village and stole the jewel. Before I could get away with it, the real Kikyo caught up with me. We’d both thought we’d betrayed one another. Kikyo was dying from Naraku’s attack, but she used the last of her strength to seal me to the sacred tree. She died that same day, but Naraku’s plot hadn’t worked because she didn’t hate me, and I didn’t hate her. The jewel stayed pure and he couldn’t take it. It was burned along with her body.”

The fire’s crackling seemed somehow louder now that Inuyasha had stopped talking. He was grateful for the noise.

“I see.” Sesshomaru said after a long pause. “Naraku’s existence was a consequence of the love between Kikyo and yourself. His stain on this world traces back to the petty grudge of a human priestess.”

Inuyasha threw another log on the fire. “Sounds about right.”

“I fail to understand how the jewel returned.”

Now they were on the topic of Kagome. The heavy weight in Inuyasha’s chest seemed to double. Somehow, it didn’t feel right to tell Sesshomaru about her. It’d been hard enough to talk about Kikyo, whose death he’d come to accept. Kagome, on the other hand, hadn’t been born yet. Still, he’d already come this far in the story, and Kagome wasn’t truly gone….

“The sacred tree transcends time. It’s why I was frozen while I was sealed to it. Its roots grow through the Bone Eater’s Well, so anyone powerful enough can enter the well and travel through time. Kagome was able to do it because she had the sacred jewel. She’s from five hundred years in the future. She’s the reincarnation of Kikyo, and she was born with the jewel inside her. She was attacked by a demon when she got here, and the jewel was ripped out of her body. As Kikyo’s reincarnation, she had the ability to remove the arrow that Kikyo had sealed me with. We got the jewel back from the demon, but it was stolen again and ended up with a crow demon. Kagome shot an arrow at it, and it hit the jewel. Her spiritual power in the arrow caused the jewel to shatter, and the shards were scattered.”

Sesshomaru knew what had happened after that. He and his friends had scoured the country for jewel shards in a race against Naraku.

“So it is because the jewel no longer exists that your priestess is locked in her era and you here. Your fate was always intertwined with the jewel, as was the fate of Kikyo’s soul.”

Inuyasha nodded. “I think that she was reincarnated instead of moving on because of the jewel. Once Kagome passes, her soul will finally rest like it’s meant to.”

Sesshomaru sat silently for a moment, allowing the information to sink in. Inuyasha noticed that Tenseiga was once again pulsing, responding to something, though he wasn’t sure what.

“What’s Tenseiga been trying to tell you? I sensed it when you brought Rin back, too. Shouldn’t you be concerned?”

Sesshomaru raised an eyebrow. Almost as if to settle it, he grasped Tenseiga’s handle until the sword was quiet again.

“No, I suppose not. I’ve performed my test.”

Offering no further explanation, Sesshomaru stood and swept his long hair over his shoulder. Inuyasha intended to ask again what kind of test it had been, but Sesshomaru spoke before he could.

“Rin, have you been eavesdropping?”

Inuyasha turned to see where Sesshomaru was looking, and Rin appeared in the entryway sheepishly, having been hiding just outside the hut. Sesshomaru’s damn scent had prevented Inuyasha from smelling her.

“You nosy kid, you did exactly what I told you not to do!”

“I know, Master Inuyasha, but you said you’d be right back and you weren’t, so I got worried. Please don’t be mad.”

Inuyasha let out an exasperated sigh. “I’m not mad, Rin, but you can’t go outside alone after dark. We’ve talked about this; it’s dangerous.”

Rin scuffed her foot back and forth on the floor. “I’m sorry.”

“I am responsible for delaying Inuyasha, Rin.” Sesshomaru told the girl. “Heed his warnings or perish before you reach adulthood. Evil stalks those who wander at night. The whistle will do you no good if you cannot see that you are in danger.”

Rin’s eyes widened and she turned to examine the darkness behind her. Inuyasha rolled his eyes at his dramatic brother. “Jeez, don’t scare her. Rin, you’ll be fine if you keep a sharp eye and don’t wander off alone. Now come inside and warm up by the fire. You’re gonna catch a cold out there.”

Rin moved swiftly to Inuyasha’s left side, ensuring that he was between herself and the open door.

“Are you leaving again, Lord Sesshomaru?”

Sesshomaru glanced down at the Tenseiga briefly before walking towards the door. “I must speak with Totosai. I will return in the summer. Goodbye.”

Inuyasha wasn’t sure if Sesshomaru was speaking to him or Rin or both of them. Usually he addressed either Rin or Inuyasha specifically, but this time, he hadn’t felt inclined to do so. He closed the door behind himself and within a few moments, Inuyasha couldn’t sense him anymore. He was left, again, wondering about his strange behavior.

“Ooh, Master Inuyasha! You said you had something for me.”

Inuyasha stretched and fell onto his back like he might take a nap. “I don’t know if I should hand it over, Rin. You broke the rules just now. How did you get away from Kaede?”

Rin stood and bounced on her heels. “Lady Kaede fell asleep. I said I’m sorry! I promise I won’t do it again. Please show me what you have for me. Please! Please! Please! Ple-“

“Okay, okay, fine!” Inuyasha got to his feet and went to rummage around in his belongings. He’d hidden it pretty well because Rin was quite attentive. He found the little yellow box and held it out to her. He felt a bit embarrassed, if he were being honest. He didn’t often give gifts. “They’re called markers. Like crayons, but better.”

Rin’s face was reverent as she took the box and examined the futuristic packaging closely. “Wow… thank you so much, Master Inuyasha! There are so many colors! I can’t wait to use them!”

“Yeah, well… happy birthday, kid. That reminds me, Sango and Miroku wanted me to wish you happy birthday from them, too.”

A wide smile split Rin’s face. She took the markers over to her futon, plopped down on her stomach, and found a sheet of partially crumpled paper to use. Inuyasha would have to remember to get her some more.

“This birthday has been amazing! I know what I’ll draw. I need another picture of everyone I love!”

With her tongue clenched between her teeth in concentration, Rin set to work. As the first swipe of red ink was made on the paper, a delighted giggle bubbled up from Rin’s throat.


	3. 3

The reasoning behind Sesshomaru’s strange behavior was revealed one summer night during the new moon. On these nights, Inuyasha would arrange for Rin to stay with Kaede or Sango and Miroku. It wasn’t that he didn’t trust the girl with his secret, but it was easier for both of them if she didn’t know. Besides, if any demons decided to attack Inuyasha on these nights, he’d only be putting Rin at risk by allowing her to stay with him. Tonight, he would send Rin to Kaede’s.

“I don’t want you sneaking out at night, kid, or I’ll start putting a leash on ya. When it gets dark, you stay inside, got it?”

Rin, who was busy gathering her beloved new markers to put them back in the box, gave an affirmative nod. “Yes, Master Inuyasha. I promise I will this time.”

The sunlight filtering through the door was growing dimmer. Inuyasha didn’t have much time left. With her sleep roll tucked under one arm and paper and markers clutched in the other, Inuyasha watched Rin skip over to Kaede’s. Thankfully, she never asked why he did this once a month. Maybe she was too young to notice the pattern.

Seconds after Rin entered Kaede’s hut, Inuyasha felt his demonic powers begin to slip away from him. He went back inside, shut the door, and sat with his back against the opposite wall. Ever since his days of traveling with his friends had ended, the moonless nights had become quite boring for him. Before he’d met Kagome, he’d spent his human nights alone, but in the forest. Plenty of stuff goes on in the forest at night, danger constantly lurking, so it wasn’t so dull. Now, though, he sat in a silent hut from dusk until dawn with nothing but his thoughts for company. It was on these nights that Inuyasha was the most introspective.

He winced as his claws receded and softened. Dog ears melted into his scalp and human ears emerged. With a disgruntled frown, he reached up to pull the shedded white hair from atop his black hair. His senses dulled gradually. With his arms crossed, he stared blankly at the door and let his train of thought carry him away.

Sesshomaru knew everything now. It wasn’t that it was strange to have someone else know; in fact, Sesshomaru had pretty much been the only one left out of the loop. What was strange was that Sesshomaru even cared. What use did he have of that information? He’d said he’d wanted to perform a test, then he’d asked about his past. Did the test have anything to do with the Tenseiga’s communication with Sesshomaru? It was convenient, Inuyasha thought, that right as Inuyasha had finished his story, Tenseiga had begun to pulse and Sesshomaru had said he’d completed his test. In the past, Inuyasha had only known Tenseiga to stir when it was compelling Sesshomaru to revive someone; but during his last visit, it’d been revealed that the sword was more sentient than he’d thought. He’d then said that he was going to talk to Totosai, so he must not completely understand what was going on, either. He had, however, claimed that he was unconcerned about it, so he must’ve understood Tenseiga’s intentions to some extent. Sitting here trying to put together pieces of some puzzle wouldn’t help him to learn anything, though, if the pieces were all blank. Bits of information that linked together but didn’t explain what was going on. Damned Sesshomaru. The asshole always managed to take off before he could explain whatever weird crap he was spewing - speaking of, he still had yet to explain their interaction on the day he’d left Rin at the village nearly a year ago. He’d learned something about Inuyasha by his scent that he’d said “could be discussed at a more opportune time.” Well, they’d had plenty of opportune times since then. What was keeping him from talking? Surely it wasn’t anything bad? Inuyasha wasn’t foolish enough to think that his older brother gave a damn about him, but seeing as he was guarding the only person he did care about, it seemed like he’d tell him if something bad was going on. Based on Inuyasha’s experience with the demon lord, all these strange instances reeked of some grand plan that Sesshomaru was orchestrating right under his nose. He had a feeling that this would shape up to be something that he wouldn’t like. Otherwise, why would Sesshomaru keep secrets from him? Next time he saw him, Inuyasha decided, he wouldn’t let him leave until he’d gotten some answers out of him.

Inuyasha twitched at the sound of a twig snapping outside. He listened closely for a while, but eventually concluded that it must’ve been a raccoon or something.

Sitting here alone never failed to remind Inuyasha just how much he missed Kagome and the adventures they’d had together with their friends. He was glad that Naraku was defeated, of course, and he was glad that Kagome was safe at home, but where did that leave him? It was like he’d said to Kaede: everyone he’d ever known would either outlive him or die long before him. Even if Kagome had stayed, she also would’ve died while he was still young. That’s why he’d been in denial about being attached to Rin for so long. Eventually, like Kaede had, she would become a grandmother to him. Then she’d be gone. He supposed Kaede’s words were of some comfort - that he and Rin’s bond would transcend time - but the thought was still daunting. He wanted to be angry at himself for coming to love Rin, but he couldn’t. Where would he be without her? Withering away at the bottom of a useless well, missing someone who hadn’t been born?

There was another rustling noise from outside, this time closer. Inuyasha narrowed his eyes. Heart thumping quickly in his chest, he got to his feet and inched towards the door. With one hand he held the now useless Tetsusaiga and gingerly touched the door with the other. It was with that touch that Inuyasha felt it - an evil aura so great that even his human senses picked up on it. Something was waiting for him outside this door. He heard whispers on the air. Malicious, hungry hisses. What awaited him wasn’t some pissed off daiyoukai, it was a bunch of mindless lesser demons. A horde of them. They’d been slowly surrounding him and he hadn’t even known. They were going to attack the village. 

Only a couple of hours had passed since sundown; Inuyasha wouldn’t be regaining his powers anytime soon. Still, he had to do something. Odds were that they were here for him, and he’d be damned if he hid in his hut while the village suffered for his presence. He could do this. He’d made it through many a human night when it had seemed like there was no hope of survival. He always managed to bullshit his way until morning. With this little pep talk in mind, he slid his door open.

Just as he’d pictured, pathetic lesser demons had formed a wall around his hut, looking gleeful and triumphant. Upon sight of him, they began to laugh and shift excitedly. They hadn’t yet disturbed any of the villagers. One of the more powerful among them, some old spider demon hag, skittered to the front and looked down at him with amusement.

“Well, if it isn’t the great half demon Inuyasha.” She rasped, creeping in taunting circles around him. Her many legs moved with a faint crackling noise that made the hairs on the back of Inuyasha’s neck stand on end. His dark eyes followed her closely. “Nothing more than a weak mortal.”

“I may be mortal, but I’m still strong enough to kick your pathetic butt!” he lied boldly, gripping his sword tighter. The spider demon chuckled. Behind her, the hungry demons were beginning to squirm restlessly.

“You threaten me with that rusty piece of scrap metal? I would very much like to see you try.”

“Who sent you?” Inuyasha asked, stalling for time and rapidly trying to form some kind of plan. “Who knows about my human night? I know you boneheads didn’t figure it out on your own.”

“Who sent us…?” The hag repeated, smirking evilly. “Perhaps you should worry more about me. I, Michichka, will be the one to finally put an end to your miserable existence, Inuyasha!”

“No, I shall be the one to slay the half demon!” Cried another demon from the throng, drawing Michichka and the other demons’ eyes away from him for the moment.

“I will devour him whole!” Hissed another.

“It shall be I who kills him!”

“You fool, I am the strongest!”

While the idiots argued about who got the honor of slaying him, Inuyasha thought hard. How could he distract these things until sunrise? They were dumb enough to talk for a while, so maybe he could make a break for the woods? They’d be able to smell him, but it was his best shot. The river was about half a mile east of the village; if he could make it that far, it would wash away the bulk of his scent and he’d only have to lie low in the water for the rest of the night and hope they didn’t spot him.

“Aaargh!” A snake-like demon yowled, separating from the others. “I cannot wait any longer! I am so hungry! I will eat the other humans!”

Inuyasha watched with horror as the demon burst through the walls of the nearest hut and back out again, rousing panicked screams from the elderly couple inside. Other demons followed his lead, destroying huts and terrorizing the village. They were forcing the villagers out in the open, Inuyasha realized. They’d make them scramble from their huts in a blind panic and then pick them off. Inuyasha jolted as the wails of infants reached his ears. Sango and Miroku - the twins - were in danger. Rin’s scream broke out across the village and she joined the others huddled outside. Everything was so chaotic and happening so quickly that Inuyasha couldn’t keep up with who was where.

“Master Inuyasha!” Rin cried, attracting one demon’s attention to her. Inuyasha saw its beady eyes land on her, and his heart pounded with fear. Not her. Not Rin. He’d do anything to save her. Whatever it took to get that demon’s hungry gaze off of her, he would do it.

Inuyasha thrust Tetsusaiga into the air and waved it around to draw attention back to himself. “Hey demons! It’s me you want, ain’t it? COME AND GET ME!”

It had worked. All the demons had turned towards him, and he tore off into the woods, the entire horde on his tail now that they all felt they had a chance at killing him. Despite his imminent death, Inuyasha couldn’t help but feel relieved. Sango, Miroku, Kaede, the children, and all the others, they would all be fine if Inuyasha led the demons out of the village. Inuyasha knew he wouldn’t make it far, but his distraction would give Sango and Miroku enough time to set up defenses. Inuyasha made for the river, only half certain he was going in the right direction. He usually relied on his nose to get places, but tonight it was no help at all. Low-hanging branches whipped his face and hands until they were stinging and wet with thin traces of blood. Like he needed to make his scent easier to follow.

Demons who were small enough not to be hindered by the trees were catching up with him and grinning like they’d already caught him.

“The brave Inuyasha, fleeing like a coward!” Croaked a demon from somewhere behind him, followed by guffaws of laughter.

“If anyone’s a coward it’s you!” Inuyasha called back. “You’re too scared of me to face me when I’m at full strength so you attack on my one human night? And on someone else’s orders? You’re pathetic!”

The demon roared with anger, and Inuyasha felt its hot breath on his back. “You insolent, worthless half-demon! You speak boldly for one who is about to meet his end!”

A high-pitched, piercing noise broke out across the forest, almost shrill enough to make Inuyasha drop his sword and cover his ears. His human ears, however, were nowhere near as sensitive as the demons’. They faltered behind him, growling with annoyance. Inuyasha kept running. The noise paused for a moment and then picked up again, this time with more intensity. It was Rin’s whistle, Inuyasha realized. It had to be. Sesshomaru would come. Inuyasha wasn’t sure what to make of that, and he didn’t have time to think about it, either. The whistle had distracted the demons enough that if he hauled ass, he might make it to the river before he was caught. 

With his heart in his throat and adrenaline dangerously high, Inuyasha leapt deftly over tree roots and stumps as best as he could in the dark and made for the sound of coarsing water. He knew he was close, but before he reached it, something snagged his foot and suddenly the ground was rushing up to meet him. He threw his hands out to catch himself and they helped shield his face somewhat, but pain exploded in his ankle and he knew without looking that it was now useless. A damn tree root. Still, he could hear the water, meaning the riverbank was only feet in front of him. The demons would catch up to him in seconds. Grunting with the effort, Inuyasha pushed himself up and onto his un-injured leg. He had to bite his tongue to keep from crying out in pain as his weight was shifted. He sheathed Tetsusaiga, and as quietly and as quickly as he could manage, he hobbled forwards, leaning on trees for support. His ankle was beginning to feel numb and hot and it throbbed horribly. The water on his feet, cold with the night, jarred him; he’d been so focused on his injury that he hadn’t even realized he was upon the river. Unable to keep him upright, his wobbly knees failed him, and he sank thigh-deep into the frigid water.

“Where is he?” Someone grunted from just beyond the trees. It sounded like one of those dumb three-eyed troll demons. “I wan’ eat! I wan’ eat!”

“Wretched half demon!” A more sinister voice spat. Inuyasha recognized it as Michichka’s. “Yorutsume will have our heads if we allow him to escape! Find him!”

Inuyasha slowly slipped further into the river, listening intently. He took a large breath, held it, then ducked under the water completely and allowed the current to whisk him downstream, away from the gathering demons. He held his breath until his lungs burned and then thrust his head back above the surface, gasping for air and still being dragged by the river. The terrible cold at least helped to numb his ankle.

So, Yorutsume, was it? That’s who’d sent the demons after him? First of all, who was the bastard, and what did he have against Inuyasha? He sounded like a daiyoukai, and they usually ignored him as long as he didn’t bother them. So why was he trying to have him killed? And second, how did he know about Inuyasha’s human night? The only people who knew about that were Sango, Miroku, Shippo, Kaede, and Myoga. Maybe Yorutsume had threatened the flea?

“What are you hiding from, half demon?”

Inuyasha dug his heel into the riverbed and spun around in the water. It took a moment for his human eyes to find who’d spoken. She stood a few feet away from the riverbank in the shadows cast by the trees. The demoness stepped into the moonlight, and it was unmistakable that she was a daiyoukai. She was tall for a woman, and her skin was as pale as the moon. She wore iridescent white robes that shifted gold and green as she moved. Her long, flaming red tresses looked almost too stiff to be actual hair, and they were topped with a delicate gold crown with a great sparkling ruby at the front. Her eyes were large and glistened like emeralds with slits for pupils. Across her eyelids were birthmarks that spoke of her high-born status: blood-red swirls that extended to her temples. If she so wished, this demoness could slay him where he stood, and it would take no effort at all. His remains would be swept away with the river like the carcass of some animal. He’d only met a full-blooded demon this powerful once before, and that was his own brother.

“Are you Yorutsume?” He asked, knowing full well it wouldn’t make a difference what the answer was.

The demoness regarded him analytically for a long moment, maybe surprised at Inuyasha’s boldness, maybe just bored enough to pay him any mind at all. Then again, it was rare to stumble upon daiyoukai by accident. He had a feeling that her presence had something to do with the demons chasing him.

“No,” the demoness finally drawled. “I am Tsukihara. Would you be Inuyasha?”

Inuyasha’s eyes narrowed suspiciously. “How do you know my name?”

Tsukihara smiled, and she almost seemed friendly. Almost. “You look and smell like a human, but the scent of Inu Youkai still clings to you. I had heard that you resided in a village nearby. You are well-known amongst demons for exterminating the troublesome Naraku. To be a half demon so powerful as yourself is rare, and as such you have caught the attention of all demons in these parts. Were you unaware of your fame?”

Inuyasha couldn’t keep the look of shock off his face. “You mean, you guys don’t all want me dead?”

Tsukihara hid her lips behind her hand as she giggled, revealing razor-sharp talons. So she was some kind of winged demon in her true form.

“Quite the contrary, little half demon. Your noble birth and your newly presented status have made you very desirable.”

Inuyasha raised an eyebrow. “My status?”

“Your first heat will be upon you within the decade, I would say. Soon you will be swarmed with suitors.”

“Heat? Suitors?” Maybe Inuyasha’s head had hit the ground harder than he’d thought earlier. “What are you -“

“There you are, despicable mortal!” Came a triumphant screech from upriver, diverting both Inuyasha and Tsukihara’s attentions. Michichka had, it seemed, figured out that Inuyasha had used the river for his escape and had followed the path to him. She scuttled down the riverbank, her hateful glare trained on him. “Your blood shall flow across my tongue! I shall relish in the snapping of your bones between my teeth! I shall - Lord Tsukihara!”

Tsukihara did not respond to the demon’s recognition of her at all. She showed no mercy. In the blink of an eye, she had leapt up and descended upon the surprised spider demon. With a swipe of her talons that left brief gold slashes in the air, Michichka was sliced to ribbons. With a deafening roar, her body disentigrated, leaving only a nasty stench and the echo of her cry of death.

Inuyasha’s jaw hung open. Tsukihara’s regal features were twisted into something violent as she flung the blood from her hand. When she met Inuyasha’s eyes, her features softened once more.

“Pitiful, was she not? Had she had the dignity to challenge you in your true form, you would have slain her in an instant.”

Inuyasha blinked dumbly. “Uh… yeah. Thanks, for that.”

“There are more. The scent of blood is thick in the air.”

Inuyasha’s heart clenched in fear. He hated being so powerless. “Is there human blood?”

The demoness looked down at him curiously, but not cruelly. “None besides your own. Someone is slaying the demons who were chasing you.”

It had to be Sango and Miroku. Hope crept into Inuyasha’s chest, but it was quickly smothered with guilt. They were experienced demon slayers, but they were out of practice, and there were a lot of demons. Shippo and Kohaku weren’t even at the village to help. The two of them had children to look after. If they were hurt, it’d be his fault.

Inuyasha began wading out of the water, gritting his teeth against the pain in his ankle.

Tsukihara raised her eyebrows at him. “Do you intend to fight in your state?”

The soaked fire rat robe was weighing him down, but Inuyasha continued to fight the river. “I have to help. My friends are out there fighting those demons because of me.”

Tsukihara made no move to stop him, but didn’t help him out of the water, either. “You will only get in their way as you are now. Besides, your help is not needed. Lord Sesshomaru has arrived.”

Right, Sesshomaru! Inuyasha had forgotten all about Rin’s whistle. Rin was in the village, so Sesshomaru would surely kill all the demons who’d threatened it. They’d be safe. With this new development, Inuyasha calmed down a fraction.

“Your brother’s presence comforts you?” Tsukihara asked perceptively. 

Inuyasha grimaced at the notion. He’d finally made it to the riverbank, and although it wounded his pride somewhat, he sat in the grass to catch his breath.

“Not one bit, but he’ll at least keep my friends in the village safe.”

“Your friends, the humans? The Lord of the Western Lands would protect them?”

All at once, Inuyasha realized he might’ve said too much. He had no idea this demoness’s relationship to Sesshomaru. For all he knew, they could be rivals. Michichka had called her “Lord Tsukihara;” did that mean she was a lord of the lands as well? They were always competing for territory and power, so if so, Inuyasha couldn’t see Tsukihara and Sesshomaru getting along. If he gave Sesshomaru’s adversary even an inkling of his weakness, it might put him or even Rin in danger. Inuyasha quickly tried to backtrack.

“No, not them. Sesshomaru doesn’t care for humans. He’d kill the demons for threatening me.”

Inuyasha mentally cringed at having even said that little.

“Is that so? I’d thought that the two sons of Lord Inu no Taisho were enemies.”

“Er… we were, until we worked together to defeat Naraku.”

That wasn’t a total lie, but it still tasted bitter on Inuyasha’s tongue. He wasn’t sure why he was so intimidated by the demoness when she’d just complimented him and saved his life. Speaking of the compliment, maybe he could use it to kill two birds with one stone. Change the subject and get some answers.

“Lord Tsukihara,” he said, figuring he should at least address his savior with honorifics, “what did you mean when you said I’d go into heat?”

Tsukihara’s eyes widened. “My boy, are you implying that you don’t know your status? That you are unaware that you are an uke?”

Inuyasha raised an eyebrow. “What’s an uke? Is that bad? I really don’t need anything else on top of being a half breed.”

The woman smirked and took a step towards Inuyasha. “I see that Lord Sesshomaru has failed in his duty as head of your family.”

“What duty?” Inuyasha asked, growing uneasy as she came closer. “What the hell’s going on?”

“I think I shall allow Lord Sesshomaru to explain. He approaches as we speak.”

Inuyasha almost wanted to dive back into the river to get away from Tsukihara and Sesshomaru both. Though she had far from threatened him, the demoness made him uncomfortable, and Sesshomaru had never seen Inuyasha in his human form. There was no predicting how he might react. That he might not be at all fazed was just as likely that he might be disgusted and decide to knock him around just for the hell of it. Escaping wasn’t an option, anyway. Either of the demons could catch him before he got very far, and the others had likely already told Sesshomaru that he was a human. To maintain some semblance of dignity, Inuyasha shakily attempted to stand, which was more difficult outside the water than it had been in it. 

“That is unwise.” Tsukihara warned. To prove her point, his ankle rolled underneath him and he would have crashed to the ground had she not reached out to steady him by his elbows. He looked up to thank her, but the words never made it out as a bright light erupted into the clearing. The next few seconds were a blur, but they ended with Inuyasha somehow holding onto the back of Sesshomaru’s kimono to stay upright as the demon lord stood between him and Tsukihara.

“What the hell…?” Inuyasha muttered. He quickly found his own balance and released Sesshomaru’s kimono, his cheeks warm. In an over dramatic display of power, Sesshomaru had separated he and the demoness and had maneuvered Inuyasha swiftly behind him. He was posturing at Tsukihara and shielding Inuyasha with his own body. Tsukihara took a respectful step backwards, but her eyes were devious.

“Lord Sesshomaru,” she drawled, completely unperturbed. “what a pleasant surprise. Your little brother and I were having an interesting conversation. Isn’t that right, Inuyasha?”

“Uh, I guess?” Said Inuyasha, feeling thoroughly emasculated at the moment.

“You are in my lands, Lord Tsukihara.” Sesshomaru said coolly. “Return to the north.”

“Touchy, I was only visiting. I saved Inuyasha’s life. You should be grateful to me.”

That was laughable. Like Sesshomaru would be grateful that his life had been saved. Though, Inuyasha supposed he had mislead her earlier.

“Do not take me for a fool,” Sesshomaru sneered. “I inquired of one of the demons before I killed him who had sent him.”

Tsukihara’s eyes gleamed. She still appeared self-righteous, only now rather annoyed. Sesshomaru had learned something that she hadn’t anticipated.

“Yorutsume.” Inuyasha filled in. “Who is he?”

“Yorutsume is one of the lords of the northern lands. He is Lord Tsukihara’s brother and deputy.”

That gave Inuyasha several bits of information. The first one being that that meant that Tsukihara was the Lord of the Northern Lands, and the second one being that Tsukihara had deceived him.

“You had him send those demons after me?” Inuyasha demanded, painfully moving so that he could glare at her around Sesshomaru. “Why?”

“You’re angry with me, Inuyasha?” Tsukihara asked in a patronizing tone, amused. “Ask your dear brother what he’s been hiding from you for the past year. I daresay you’ll be more angry with him.”

“Do not allow her to goad you, Inuyasha.” Sesshomaru warned. “She staged this so that she could rescue you under false pretenses and thereby gain your trust.”

Inuyasha looked back and forth between the demon lords’ deadly gazes, which were locked onto one another. It looked as though at any given moment one of them would strike. Inuyasha was a bit worried for Tsukihara. It was strange, seeing Sesshomaru’s look of contempt directed at someone else on Inuyasha’s behalf. Strange and kind of refreshing. But Tsukihara’s words bothered him. Why should he be angry at Sesshomaru?

“She said I’m an uke.” Inuyasha said slowly. For a second, only for a second, Sesshomaru’s eyes darted in his direction. That single glance was his only tell; he looked otherwise impassive. So he was aware that this was something he should’ve already explained. “What does that mean?”

Tsukihara watched them with a grin, highly entertained. Sesshomaru finally saw fit to end his staring contest with the demoness and look at Inuyasha.

“More demons like Lord Tsukihara will seek your favor, though not all of them would be so underhanded as to delude and target you at your most vulnerable time.”

“Underhanded!” Tsukihara scoffed. “And what of your scheme, Lord Sesshomaru? You intend to mold him to be your perfect uke, to use him to replenish your tribe and then cast him aside.”

“Such plans are beneath me.”

“I find that difficult to believe. Only when Inuyasha began to mature did you cease your mission to kill him.” 

Inuyasha growled. “Hey, I’m right here, you know! Someone wanna tell me what the hell we’re talking about? First of all, how did you know about my human night?”

Tsukihara grinned, her slit-pupiled eyes falling on him. Inuyasha repressed the urge to shudder under the predatory gaze. “Last summer, I was visiting the western lands on diplomatic business when I caught the scent of an uke coming into maturity; so naturally, I followed it and found you. Imagine my surprise when I smelled that your dwelling, that of an unmated uke, had been scent marked by Lord Sesshomaru, whose hatred for his half demon brother was well known. From what I’ve learned tonight, I gather you hadn’t known you’d been laid claim on. I suppose you’ve become so accustomed to his scent that you don’t realize it lingers everywhere you go. An uke smelling as sweetly as you do would not be able to reside in one place for so long without the scent of a powerful seme to ward off potential suitors. In any case, I decided to challenge the claim, which is fair, as you are unmated and not fully mature. I watched over you from a distance. I was again surprised when one night, I could no longer sense your youkai. After many moons, I learned that the moonless night steals away your power. I regret that I was forced to resort to plotting to gain your trust. You see, Lord Sesshomaru has been chasing other semes away from you.”

Inuyasha’s head was spinning. Claims? Mates? Semes and ukes? Was this lady saying that she was competing with Sesshomaru for his hand? One of them here was off their rocker, and though he was a little battered, bruised, and tired, Inuyasha was pretty sure it wasn’t him. Despite human societal norms, Inuyasha knew that it wasn’t abnormal for demon siblings to mate because their genes don’t work the same as humans’ do. However, that didn’t mean that he’d ever had… feelings for Sesshomaru, or vice versa. So then, why did Sesshomaru not appear disgusted or flummoxed?

“I have no need to explain my actions to you. I will issue you one more warning, Lord Tsukihara.” Sesshomaru said, a definite threat in his tone now. His right hand wrapped around the handle of Bakusaiga. “Return to the north. Do not trespass on my lands again.”

While the two demon lords postured at one another for another long moment, Inuyasha attempted to sort out in his head everything that Tsukihara had said. When he questioned Sesshomaru later he didn’t want to imply anything that the demoness hadn’t meant, but each time he considered her words he came to the same conclusion. It couldn’t mean anything other than what she’d said, but it didn’t make sense. Inuyasha could rationalize Sesshomaru chasing away potential suitors for Rin’s safety, but he couldn’t rationalize the claim. That was a very public statement to other demons, one that Inuyasha would have thought Sesshomaru would have died before making. Apparently, more goes on behind that cool expression than he’d imagined.

“I will return to my home for now.” Tsukihara finally conceded, a silent defiance in her eyes. She was smart to realize that she couldn’t defeat Sesshomaru one-on-one. “We shall meet again, Inuyasha.”

The demoness began pulsing, her form radiating power. She was transforming. Her face elongated and formed scales. Rows of sharp, blade-like teeth erupted from behind her stretching lips. Her talons were each the size of Inuyasha’s arm. Her body grew, and her hair shifted down her back to become a long tail with a spiked end. Great wings erupted from her back, and they spanned across the entire clearing. A dragon. She was a white dragon whose scales, like her kimono, shifted between gold and green, and whose back and tail were lined with large red spires. Her crown had formed curly golden horns atop her head, and the fat ruby had sunk into her forehead and was glowing. Just to emphasize her power, she huffed a great sigh through her snout, the hot air sending Inuyasha’s hair flying wildly. With a mighty flap of those giant wings, she was in the air, and vanished into the clouds within seconds.

“Tell me, Inuyasha,” Sesshomaru said, drawing Inuyasha’s gaze from the sky. The demon lord released his sword. “What did she say to you?”

Sesshomaru was looking at him as he always did, outwardly expressing no emotion. He hadn’t reacted in any way at all to Inuyasha’s human state, which led him to wonder whether Sesshomaru had already known. Either way, there was no way of knowing what was going on inside Sesshomaru’s head if he didn’t choose to tell, so Inuyasha thought it best to proceed with caution so as not to provoke any hidden ire. He wouldn’t be so passive normally, but as a human with a broken ankle he didn’t have much of a choice.

“She said there was something you needed to explain.” He said strategically. “That it was your duty as head of our family, or something. What’s all this talk of ukes and semes? And what does it mean that you ‘claimed’ me?”

In lieu of a response, Sesshomaru stepped further into the clearing, leaving Inuyasha on the riverbank. He paused to sniff the air and frowned. “There are still demons in the forest. I smell human blood.”

Fear punched Inuyasha in the gut. “Is it -“

“A minor injury. You were foolish to flee from the village. The demon slayer could have protected you until I arrived.”

“If you think I was gonna stay there and put Rin - everyone - in danger, you’re crazy. They were after me, so I led them away from the village.”

“And you see the result. Your companions have been drawn into the woods where the demons followed you, leaving the village unprotected. Yourself injured, alone, vulnerable, and nearly in Lord Tsukihara’s grasp. If she had managed to mate you before I could stop her, you would have been enslaved to her.”

Inuyasha gasped. Was that what it meant, to be an uke? He was slowly figuring things out for himself in his mind. Thus far, he’d gathered that Tsukihara and Sesshomaru were both semes, and semes seemed to hold some natural power over ukes. But the way they’d been talking made the relationship between a seme and an uke sound similar to that of a man and a woman, if the woman had no choice in the matter. Was that the dynamic of demon relationships? So the status of uke was just another curse for him to add to his half demon status?

“I’ll die before I become anyone’s slave.” Inuyasha said with conviction. “I guess I should thank you for stopping her, even though I don’t really know what you stopped.”

“I will explain when we return to the village. As of now, I will slaughter the remaining demons who saw fit to challenge my power.”

Inuyasha realized then why Sesshomaru had gone into the clearing. His form began to pulse as Tsukihara’s had, his youkai swarming the air so pungently that Inuyasha didn’t have to have a demon’s senses to feel it. His face elongated into his white snout, the magneta stripes on his cheeks shifting to form the markings around his mouth. His fangs grew huge and sharp, his eyes glowed red, and Mokomoko merged with his back. When the transformation was complete, Sesshomaru’s enormous tail swept across the grass a couple of times, as if shaking off his condensed form. The dog demon was as impressive as ever, but something was different. It took Inuyasha a moment to realize what it was. Whereas last time Inuyasha had witnessed Sesshomaru’s true form, he stood midway up the great dog’s legs, he now stood only a few feet higher than those giant paws. The pompous bastard had grown. He’d gained a few pounds after he’d earned Bakusaiga, too, but it seemed something else had helped to heightened his power since then.

“Like you needed to get any bigger, you huge bastard!” Inuyasha taunted. “How ‘bout I hack that arm of yours back off and see if you get any bigger, then!”

Sesshomaru made a snuffling sound that could’ve meant “please shut up already” or “I’d like to see you try,” then stretched his forelegs out in front of him and crouched. He looked at Inuyasha expectantly.

“Are you insane? Even if that wasn’t too weird to even consider, my foot’s busted. I can’t climb.”

Inuyasha distantly wondered when he’d become bold enough to tease Sesshomaru outside of a fight and when he had no way of defending himself. He supposed it had something to do with the fact that he’d seen him more times in the past couple years than he had his entire life before then. Maybe Sesshomaru wasn’t so amused, because the next thing Inuyasha knew, that colossal maw was open and poisonous fangs were reaching for him. Startled, Inuyasha fell back onto his rear. 

“Hey, what the hell are you - AAAGH!”

Those deadly canines had clamped down on the back of Inuyasha’s sodden robes. Sesshomaru effortlessly lifted Inuyasha off the ground, and he found himself surrounded by that warm breath that he knew could produce enough miasma to kill him with one exhale, if Sesshomaru so pleased. He was deposited gently (by a giant dog’s standards) on a back covered by endless fluffy white fur. He sat there quietly for a moment, blinking dumbly in shock. Sesshomaru, the great dog demon lord, was allowing his supposedly despised and currently completely mortal brother to ride on his back. Inuyasha briefly entertained the idea that he was actually still in the river, that he’d hit his head on a rock in the water and was drowning. But no, the fur was warm and surprisingly soft, and he was forced to cling to it or fall off as Sesshomaru stood.

Inuyasha had never actually seen Sesshomaru run in his true form before, and it was breathtaking. Literally. Inuyasha had to shield his face from the wind in his fur so that he could breathe. The demon galloped into the trees at break-neck speed, snapping entire branches like toothpicks, and was upon the first demon almost instantly. It was the troll demon from earlier; it hadn’t been far behind Michichka. The demon could only cry out in agony as Sesshomaru snapped it into his jaws. With a prompt and sickening crunch, it was dead. Sesshomaru flung aside the carcass and tromped further into the forest. Before long, Sesshomaru had killed five, ten, fifteen demons as swiftly and brutally as the first. Inuyasha settled as comfortably as one could atop a rampaging dog demon, but the fur actually smelled quite clean and it combatted his shivering from being soaked and exposed to the night air. He knew that under normal circumstances, Sesshomaru wouldn’t bother dirtying his hands (so to speak) by disposing of such lowly demons, but he wanted to send a clear message to the lords of the northern lands. 

Eventually, they came across Sango and Miroku, both still in their night clothes but covered in demon guts and fighting ferociously. Inuyasha saw where the scent of human blood had come from - the sleeve of Miroku’s robes had holes from a nasty demon bite, but thankfully it looked small. Sango caught Hiraikotsu as it returned from tearing through a demon and turned to look at them.

“Lord Sesshomaru? And is that you on his back, Inuyasha?”

“Yeah, it’s me.” Inuyasha said mournfully, annoyed that he looked so pathetic in addition to actually being pathetic. 

“I’m relieved to see you - ngh!” Sango tossed Hiraikotsu again, “-alive.”

Sesshomaru pounced on three demons at once, jolting Inuyasha. His ankle protested sharply.

“You gave us a real scare, my friend, taking off like that with a horde of demons after you.” Miroku said, ducking a diving demon and casting a sutra at it. It howled and disintegrated into the night.

“I don’t die easy. On your left!”

Miroku didn’t get the chance to heed Inuyasha’s warning. Sesshomaru tackled that demon in a flash. In fact, he’d pretty much taken over the battle. Sango hesitantly lowered Hiraikotsu and looked at Miroku, who shrugged. They fell still, knowing they’d only be in the way as Sesshomaru utterly decimate the foes. This had become personal for Sesshomaru, and he wasn’t keen on accepting help, much less from humans. The three of them watched, Inuyasha a bit more closely, as Sesshomaru killed the last of the horde. The army Yorutsume had assembled to challenge Sesshomaru’s claim was reduced to ash and corpses scattered in an undignified manner throughout the Forest of Inuyasha.


	4. 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> :-)

Sesshomaru had them back at the village long ahead of Sango and Miroku with his great demon legs. Inuyasha was left with no choice but to hold on and save his questions for later. Once they broke through the treeline, Sesshomaru began to shrink. Inuyasha’s weight was redistributed, supported under his knees and at his upper back, and the bed of fur was now only against his left side. Sesshomaru must’ve sensed his anxiety, but he didn’t slow his pace or even bother to look at him.

“Calm yourself, Inuyasha, unless you’d prefer to walk on a broken ankle.”

Inuyasha didn’t prefer to do that, but he couldn’t help his growing discomfort. Clinging to a giant dog’s back was a lot less intimate than being carried in the arms of his condensed form. What unnerved him more than anything, though, was that he was not twisting in a panicked, enraged frenzy to escape the demon’s grasp. For the first time he realized that against his will, his hatred for Sesshomaru had waned over the past couple of years, leaving in its place only curiousity, mistrust, and watered-down fear. What must be going through Sesshomaru’s head at this moment, reduced to carrying a human, Inuyasha, no less, to safety? Why was he doing it? He could’ve much more easily left him to Sango and Miroku and waited for them to return at the village to explain what had happened tonight. Instead, he’d opted to take on the responsibility himself. Maybe he just hadn’t wanted to wait? Bewildered, tired, and in pain, Inuyasha decided not to fight this moment, which was quite uncharacteristic of him. It wasn’t like he had any other options. He crossed his arms and kept his mouth shut for the moment.

The sounds of village people reached his weak ears. Inuyasha gritted his teeth at the thought of others seeing him so helpless, but again, there was nothing to be done about that. Someone had to tow him to his hut, so it might as well be Sesshomaru. That, or he could sit on the ground outside until sunrise returned his powers and he began to heal. He had a feeling that Sesshomaru wouldn’t allow that option after he’d gone to all this trouble.

Naturally, Rin was the first to spot them just as they came from the trees. 

“Master Inuyasha!”

The villagers, who’d been at work cleaning up the damaged structures, paused as Rin’s cries filled the air and attracted their attention. Sesshomaru stopped to allow her to greet Inuyasha, and for the first time that Inuyasha had ever seen, Rin paid the demon lord no mind at all. Tears were streaming down her face. Her watery eyes were fixed on Inuyasha as she leapt over planks of wood to get to them. Relieved, Inuyasha reached a hand for her and cupped her wet cheek.

“You’re okay, Rin? You weren’t hurt?”

Rin clutched his hand tightly, her own little hand trembling. She shook her head.

“M-Master Inuyasha! I was so scared! Y-You’re a human, what happened? All those demons chased you into-into the forest, and I thought - I thought -!”

“Rin….” Inuyasha said, stunned.

“Inuyasha is injured.” Sesshomaru told her. “Summon the Miko to his hut.”

Rin gasped. Inuyasha could tell that she had a million questions on the tip of her tongue, but she managed to refrain for the moment. She nodded and scampered off to find Kaede. Inuyasha’s hand hovered where she’d been, wishing she’d stayed. She appeared to be alright, but still….

“She is unharmed.” Sesshomaru said, as if sensing his thoughts. He began walking towards his hut. “Be concerned for yourself.”

“I’m fine. I’m not fragile, you know. As soon as the sun comes up, I’ll start healing. I’ll be walking again in a couple days.”

Sesshomaru didn’t respond to that. They passed Sango and Miroku’s hut, which was missing half its roof. The twins were safe with the midwife Suke. The people seemed to migrate to the opposite end of the village from them; Sesshomaru tended to have that effect on other living beings. 

It seemed that Inuyasha had gotten lucky; his hut was undamaged. As Sesshomaru entered and deposited him on his futon, Inuyasha avoided his gaze. This was humiliating. He now majorly owed Sesshomaru, and he was the last person whose debt he wanted to be in. He wondered how the other demon would demand repayment. The fact that Sesshomaru then started to stack chopped logs in the fire pit only made it all worse.

“Why are you doing this?”

Sesshomaru wasn’t distracted from his task. He retrieved the matches from where he’d seen Inuyasha stash them last fall. Though it was now summer, it was early in the season and the night was chilly to Inuyasha’s still damp skin, not helped by his water-logged robe and hair. 

“Would you rather I’d left you to Lord Tsukihara or to die of exposure?” Sesshomaru asked, and dropped a lit match into the fire pit. “Be grateful.”

Inuyasha scoffed. “You know what I mean, asshole.”

With the fire lit, Sesshomaru set the matches aside and moved to stand next to Inuyasha’s prone form, gazing down at him apathetically. If the pitiful image of him stirred any type of emotion in Sesshomaru, he didn’t show it.

The sound of sloshing water preceded Rin’s arrival. She staggered in carrying a large wash basin of heated water, Kaede right behind her. Inuyasha breathed a sigh of relief as he saw that Kaede was unharmed as well. While she knelt to examine his ankle, Rin placed the basin down next to Inuyasha’s head, retrieved a cloth from within it, and began dabbing at the scratches on his face that he’d forgotten were even there. He didn’t have the heart to tell her that her efforts were unnecessary because when the sun rose, they’d vanish. It was at least nice to have the sticky blood swiped away.

Kaede gathered the bottom of the right leg of his hakama around his knee and picked up his foot gently, prodding at tender spots. His ankle was swollen, blotchy with unnatural shades of white and purple.

“How bad is it?”

Kaede turned his foot to get a better look at his ankle, causing Inuyasha to wince and flinch in her grip. Having come to her conclusion, she placed his foot in her lap.

“There be no doubt that it is broken. It will need to be wrapped.”

Inuyasha scoffed. “It’ll heal on its own in a few days.”

“Indeed. But if it is not set, it will heal improperly.”

“Set?”

Kaede beckoned Rin over to whisper something in her ear. It was especially aggravating to Inuyasha, with his abnormally poor hearing, that he was the only one in the room who didn’t know what was being said. Rin nodded, dropped the bloody cloth back into the basin, and set off at a run out of the hut.

“What the hell did you whisper for? If you’re gonna do something to me, I wanna know about it.”

A short, disdainful hum reminded Inuyasha of Sesshomaru’s presence looming behind him.

“Insolent as ever. Lie there and accept treatment, Inuyasha. You are incapable of doing anything else at the moment.”

“Keh! And what are you still hovering for? If you aren’t gonna explain what’s going on, then leave.”

His attempt to rile a reaction from him failed. Instead of replying to him, Sesshomaru moved around his body and stood next to Kaede.

“You will require for him to be held still.”

“Aye.”

Inuyasha blanched. “Held still? Hold on a second -“

Rin returned at that moment with a wicker basket, its contents a mystery due to Inuyasha’s ground-level perspective. She handed it to Kaede with a seriousness uncharacteristic of her.

“Wait outside, child. Sango and Miroku should be returning soon.”

Rin seemed hesitant. She glanced at Inuyasha nervously, eyes still shining.

“I’ll be fine, Rin. Get outta here. The twins would be happy to see you.”

Rin stiffened her upper lip and lifted her chin, just like Inuyasha had taught her, and nodded. Once she was gone, Kaede handed a worn strip of leather to Inuyasha. He smoothed his clawless fingertips over it curiously.

“What’s this for?”

“It is to prevent ye from biting off your tongue.”

He was supposed to put this in his mouth? He looked at Kaede to make sure she was serious. Her expectant expression made it clear that she was. Reluctantly, he placed the leather between his blunt teeth. Sesshomaru kneeled, and he heard Kaede rummaging around in the basket. Cool hands closed tightly around his knee and just above the injury on his calf. It was an odd sensation to have Sesshomaru touching him without intent to kill or otherwise harm him. It felt backwards, and the urge to escape struck him. The harmless appearance of those long fingers was misleading; Inuyasha was certain that no matter how hard he tried to move his leg, it wouldn’t budge, not even if he was still half-demon. Despite the trapped feeling Sesshomaru was inciting, Inuyasha tried his best to relax and slow his heartbeat, knowing that Sesshomaru could sense his apprehension.

It was only as Kaede took his lower ankle in a firm grip that Inuyasha realized what was about to happen. His words came out garbled through the leather.

“Kaede, are you sure -“

“On the count of three, Inuyasha.”

“Wait, but -“

“One, and -!” 

There was a sickening clicking noise, a deep wrong sensation in his leg, and Inuyasha was overcome with pain. His teeth ground against the leather and he cried out from deep in his gut. Involuntarily, his leg attempted to jerk away from the pain, but Sesshomaru held it fast. With his fists clenched so tightly that even his dull nails pierced his palms, Inuyasha continued to groan and spit out the leather strip.

“What the hell happened to two and three, old woman?!”

Kaede began wrapping his throbbing ankle in a splint. 

“It would have been more painful if ye had been expecting it. Are ye injured elsewhere?”

“Like I’d tell you if I was, after that!”

Kaede seemed to take that as a ‘no’ and began clearing away her supplies once she’d finished the wrap.

Sesshomaru, who’d had plenty of opportunities to insult him in the past few minutes and yet hadn’t, released his leg and stood.

“This will do. Inuyasha and I require privacy.”

While Inuyasha sputtered, Kaede peacefully finished gathering her supplies back into the basket.

“Would it kill you to be a little more polite?” Inuyasha asked, annoyed that Kaede had been dismissed like a servant.

“I understand.” Kaede assured him, ever the patient old lady. “I must tend to the other villagers, in any case. Stay ye off of that foot, Inuyasha.”

Inuyasha folded his arms with an expression awfully close to an angry pout. After she yanked it around the way she did, he couldn’t walk on his foot right now if his life depended on it. Kaede retrieved the slobbery strip of leather with a grimace. Without so much as a glance at Sesshomaru, she made her way out, shutting the door behind her.

Inuyasha pushed himself into a sitting position and watched dubiously as Sesshomaru strode to the opposite end of the hut for a log, added it to the fire, and returned to Inuyasha’s side to lower himself to the futon next to him. Seeing Sesshomaru doing anything so mundane, Inuyasha thought, would never not be a strange sight. It was only recently that the demon lord had begun to lower his guard around him. Then again, it wasn’t as though Inuyasha posed any threat at the moment. Sesshomaru’s posture, however, was rigid and poised as always.

“You are an uke.” He stated bluntly. Inuyasha rolled his eyes.

“I gathered that much. What does it mean?”

“Demons mature into one of two categories: uke or seme. Unlike human genders, females that mature as seme are able to impregnate others, and males that mature as uke… are able to be impregnated by others.”

Inuyasha slowly raised an eyebrow. Sesshomaru’s expression remained impassive. Inuyasha reminded himself that Sesshomaru did not pull pranks, and a cold, sickly feeling began to radiate from his gut. “Alright, now you’re either just spewing nonsense or you’ve finally lost it, so which is it?”

The elder demon turned his head a fraction to the side, maybe to avoid Inuyasha’s gaze. “It is neither. You have known for some time now, though you didn’t know what to make of your symptoms. You began mothering Rin soon after I left her here. You developed a softer demeanor. Your scent changed distinctively to that of a flowering uke, and I recognized it, just as you recognized mine as a seme. You’ve complained on more than one occasion that my scent is overwhelming to you.”

Inuyasha growled, beginning to feel a bit frightened. “Yeah, so? That doesn’t mean I can suddenly have babies! I’m a man! I don’t have the… the… stuff for that!”

“No,” Sesshomaru agreed, “not yet. Your child-bearing organs will develop before your first heat.”

“Heat.” Inuyasha repeated, eyes bulging, trying hard to keep his voice even. “Heat. What is that?”

But apparently, Sesshomaru felt he’d said enough. He stood and swept his hair over his shoulder.

“I have fulfilled my responsibility. I will send your… advisor… to give you any secondary information.”

“My advisor…? What, you mean Myoga?”

“He is with Totosai. I believe it would bring you less distress to speak with him. You still harbor that unnecessary fear of me.”

Inuyasha almost shot to his feet before remembering his temporary disability. He settled for clenching his jaw and balling his fists again, causing the small wounds he’d created earlier to sting.

“The hell I do! And where do you think you get off telling me some tripe like that and then taking off? You didn’t answer anything, you only made me more confused!”

Sesshomaru stalked towards the door. “You can ask Myoga any questions you have. I will return -“

“In the fall. I know, asshole, same as always.”

Sesshomaru opened the door and paused, staring out into the dark sky.

“I will return on the next night of the new moon. It is likely that more semes will attempt to claim you as you mature, and I don’t doubt your ability to ward them off. But as you demonstrated, you are incapable of defending yourself on these nights, so I will do so. Until then, you must remain vigilant.”

Just like that, the demon lord was gone, on foot rather than in his condensed energy form. He was probably off to say goodbye to Rin. Soon after he’d left, Sango and Miroku entered through the open door, somewhat bloodied and dirty but overall fine. Each of them were holding a twin.

“You guys… didn’t hear anything, did you?”

Sango gave a worried frown and lowered the squirming Akemi to the floor so that she could crawl towards Inuyasha.

“No, why? Is something the matter? Other than the obvious.”

“I don’t know….” Inuyasha scratched his head. He didn’t much feel like repeating the little that Sesshomaru had explained. “Sesshomaru just told me a bunch of weird crap then up and left. Said Myoga would come answer my questions. I guess I’ll have to wait.”

Inuyasha held out his hands to goad Akemi to him and away from the fire pit. Mitsu, wishing to copy her sister, squirmed until Miroku set her down and was also heading for him. The twins would be walking soon. Kami, what a nightmare that was gonna be. For now, it was easy enough to pull the babies into his arms and bounce them for their entertainment. A pregnant silence fell over the hut. Inuyasha knew that his friends were waiting for him to give some further explanation; maybe about the horde, maybe about Sesshomaru.

“Did you find out anything about the attack?” Miroku finally asked, and while Inuyasha was grateful for the attempt to keep his tone un-accusatory, he still held himself responsible for this whole mess.

“Yeah, the demons were sent by a dragon demon from the northern lands. His psycho sister stalked me and found out that I turn human during the new moon. Sesshomaru… he saved me.”

His friends’ eyebrows shot upwards. They shared a skeptical look.

“Sesshomaru?” Sango repeated. Inuyasha nodded.

“Couldn’t tell you why. Maybe Myoga will explain that, too. He’s still an ass, though.”

Miroku stroked his chin thoughtfully. “He does seem to have changed over the past couple of years. Maybe he’s had a change of heart.”

“Pfft. Him? Not likely. We’re talking about the same Sesshomaru who tried to kill Kagome and just stood by when Naraku tried to kill Kikyo. The same Sesshomaru that hated me for my whole life just because I’m a half demon.”

Sango wrung her hands and bit her lip in thought. “…Is he, though?”

Inuyasha could see the gears turning in their heads, which annoyed him. Had they forgotten how horrible he’d been?

“Well, anyway,” Miroku said with a tired sigh, “our hut is unlivable. Mind if we stay here tonight?”

Guilt filled Inuyasha as he recalled the shambles half of the village had been left in. Those demons had terrorized the villagers because of him. Sesshomaru was right; from now on, he had to keep his guard up.

“Yeah, sure. I’ll help fix it when I’m up and running.”

“Thanks.”

________________________________

When the flea finally showed up, it was with a painful prick on Inuyasha’s neck. He clapped a hand against the source, crushing the bug, and with a withering groan, it fluttered to the floor of the hut.

“Heh. It’s about time you showed up.”

The flattened flea peeled himself off the floor, popping back into his three dimensional state.

“Master Inuyasha! So Lord Sesshomaru was right. The taste of your blood has changed. Eh… why are you laid up alone in this hut at midday?”

It had been two and a half days since the debacle in the forest, and Inuyasha was still useless. Upon the return of his youkai, he’d felt his ankle begin to heal. He felt totally fine now, but Sango and Miroku weren’t buying it. They insisted that he stay down for at least another day, and they even had Rin on the lookout to go and tattle to them if Inuyasha tried to get up. Little traitor.

“Leg got busted.” He explained shortly, much more interested in talking about what had happened two nights ago. “So let’s hear it. What did Sesshomaru send you to tell me?”

Myoga scratched his head awkwardly and hopped to perch on his knee. “I’m not sure how much Lord Sesshomaru already explained….”

Inuyasha rolled his eyes.

“All I know is that there are semes and ukes. Semes knock up others, ukes get knocked up by others. Apparently it doesn’t matter if they’re men or women, because apparently I’m an uke. That’s all Sesshomaru explained before he took off.”

Myoga looked surprised. “That’s it? That’s common knowledge! Besides the part about you being an uke, of course.”

“Well it ain’t that common if I didn’t know about it! Did you forget that I wasn’t raised by demons? You’re supposed to tell me this kind of stuff!”

Myoga rubbed the back of his neck and chuckled nervously. “Well y’see, Master Inuyasha, these types of conversations are usually had with demon parents… delicate matters, to explain the ins and outs of demon reproduction -“

“Just get on with it, will you? First off, what’s a heat?” 

Inuyasha could’ve sworn that the little flea blushed at the question. Could bugs blush? Myoga cleared his throat and tweaked his mustache. “It’s the fertility cycle of an uke. A few times a year for a few days at a time, uke experience a heat, during which they yearn for a seme to mate with. Sometime before your first one, you’ll develop the organs to equip you to bear children.”

Inuyasha blanched. An image of himself whining - quite literally - like a bitch in heat appeared in his mind. His stomach churned. “…Alright, how can I stop it? I’m not interested in growing any girl parts and I’m definitely not interested in getting pregnant.”

He shuddered at the thought.

“I’m afraid there’s nothing to be done to prevent your reaching maturity, Master Inuyasha. Your body will change and your heats will happen. However, if you don’t wish to mate, there are measures you can take before your heats to prevent it. Many uke isolate themselves with trusted friends to look after and protect them while in heat.”

Inuyasha’s heart sank. “There’s really no stopping it? So what, I’m gonna get a vagi-“

“No!” Myoga said, looking quite uncomfortable. “No, the, er… other hole will serve a dual purpose.”

Inuyasha clutched his stomach. “This is too much. I can’t do this. There’s no way.”

“You don’t have to do anything, Master Inuyasha.” Myoga assured him, bouncing on his knee to get his attention. “Being an uke doesn’t come with any obligations. You need only make sure that no seme can take advantage of you.”

“Keh! No one’s taking advantage of me, regardless.” Inuyasha insisted, thrusting his chin proudly upwards. “Let the semes come after me. They’re not gonna like what they get, I’ll guarantee that.”

In fact, Inuyasha was looking forward to meeting the next unlucky bastard who tried to mate him. Uke or not, he was still Inuyasha, damn it.

“It’s not that simple, Master!” Myoga stressed. “Heats are debilitating! Your willpower will weaken during them! You’ll need to take precautions.”

Inuyasha tensed, a nerve struck.

“My willpower never weakens, and it’s not gonna happen over some lecherous demon!”

Myoga let out a distressed sound, his eyes pleading. He was being serious. Inuyasha groaned and clenched his fists.

“Fine, I’ll be extra careful during my… times. Happy?”

“Somewhat relieved.”

Myoga went on to explain the “ins and outs of demon reproduction,” as he put it. Societal structures, instincts, semes’ ruts, mating… all things that Inuyasha felt he was too old not to have known about. Here he was, left out of the loop because of his heritage yet again. If he’d thought he was at the bottom rung of society’s ladder before, it was nothing compared to now. Tsukihara said that his status made him desirable to other demons. Sure, desirable as a baby-making machine.

“How come Sesshomaru never told me any of this until now? Apparently it was his responsibility.”

Myoga hummed thoughtfully. “I doubt that Lord Sesshomaru expected a half-demon such as yourself to be capable of presenting. Only considerably powerful demons mature as uke or seme. The rest of us demons are male or female. Well, sometimes neither, but that’s an entirely different discussion.”

“Humph,” said Inuyasha, only somewhat consoled. “Hey, speaking of Sesshomaru, you were there when he went to see Totosai, right? What was that about?”

Myoga’s mustache twitched as he chuckled. “That… yes, I suppose you’d have grown suspicious… that sword is something else, I must say….”

Myoga snickered some more and muttered to himself.

“Knew this would happen one day, I told old Master Inu no Taisho centuries ago….”

“Well, what is it?” Inuyasha demanded impatiently. “I thought the Tenseiga only acted up when someone had just died or if Sesshomaru was in danger.”

Myoga nodded. “Yes, the sword will respond in those situations… and also when its master feels compassion for one other than himself.”

Inuyasha raised an eyebrow. “Meaning?”

“Master Inuyasha… only by Sesshomaru’s anguish at Rin’s death did he unlock the true power of the Tenseiga. It was your father’s intention that Sesshomaru could only access the sword’s full potential if he truly cared for another. The Tenseiga has only reacted thus to two people… to Rin, and to yourself.”

Inuyasha blinked. “M-Me?”

Sesshomaru had said he’d wanted to perform a test. He’d asked him about his past. Inuyasha had told him about losing the ones he’d loved, and the sword had begun to pulse. And the time before that - the first time - Rin and Sesshomaru had just returned to the village. Inuyasha remembered feeling sad. He’d been telling Kaede about how he was afraid of his world passing him by, and he’d wondered if Sesshomaru had heard. Inuyasha shook his head.

“That can’t be true. I mean for Rin, sure, but for me -“

“It is.” Myoga assured him. “After all these years, you’ve finally sparked some compassion in Lord Sesshomaru.”

Inuyasha scoffed. “If there’s any at all, it’s because he pities me for being an uke. That, or he wants to claim me as his own and make me his bitch. That’ll happen over my dead body.”

While Inuyasha crossed his arms haughtily, Myoga shook his head. 

“You’ve got it all wrong, Master Inuyasha.” He muttered more to himself than to whom he was speaking. “In any case, I’d have thought Lord Sesshomaru would be more careful with his emotions considering….”

When Myoga trailed off, Inuyasha’s interest was piqued. “Considering what?”

“Oh!” Myoga jumped as though he hadn’t expected him to be listening. “Nothing, nothing. Er… any more questions? No? You take it easy then, Master Inuyasha. Nice visiting you!”

“Hey, wait!” Inuyasha protested, making a grab for the flea, but he’d already hopped out of his limited range.

“Sorry, I must be getting back now!”

“Getting back where? Myoga!”

But Myoga was gone, having hopped into the feathers of a nearby feeding crow. With a startled squawk, the crow flapped its wings and ascended beyond the sight of the doorway. Inuyasha growled with frustration.

“When my ankle’s fixed I’m coming after you, ya hear me?!” Inuyasha called out in vain; Myoga was definitely out of earshot. He sighed, resigned to being left in the dark again, at least for the moment. “Why is Sesshomaru surrounded by secrets?”


	5. 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> :s

Sometime within the following decade, Inuyasha had been told, was when he would have his first heat, which kind of gave him an excuse to forget about the entire thing and move on with life as usual. Soon enough, his ankle was as good as ever and he was helping with the village reparations. They were complete by the time the next new moon came around, which was the first time in a month that Sesshomaru’s scent was in the air. He could smell it from Miroku and Sango’s hut in the center of the village.

“So he’s kept his promise?” Miroku asked in a hushed tone after Inuyasha noted it to him. Shippo and Rin were coloring only a few feet away, and Inuyasha and the others didn’t wish to burden them with too much information.

“I guess. He’s keeping his distance from the village, though. He probably won’t come any closer than he has to to make sure there’s no semes sniffing around.”

Inuyasha had filled Miroku, Sango, and Kaede in on all that Myoga had told him. It had been awkward, to say the least, but the three humans understood that normalcy for demons was very different from normalcy for humans. Per Inuyasha’s request, the topic wasn’t brought up unless strictly necessary. He was still in the process of digesting all the information he’d been given and tended to feel overwhelmed when he thought about it too much. On these nights, however, the topic wasn’t avoidable, especially not with Sesshomaru lingering. How embarrassing, to be forced to rely on him.

“So there shouldn’t be any attacks on the village tonight, with him in the area.” Miroku said. “Which reminds me, Inuyasha, the sun is getting low….”

They both glanced at Rin, who had no clue that anything was amiss. Inuyasha sighed.

“She knows, now. No point trying to hide it. Besides, it gets boring, sitting up in my hut alone all night. Guess I got used to you guys being there.”

Miroku clapped him on the back. “You know you’re welcome here anytime, my friend! As long as you don’t mind entertaining the girls for us.”

Inuyasha snorted at the joke, but he really didn’t mind, and Miroku knew that. Hanging out with the twins, though hellish at times, was generally therapeutic. Now at nine months old, they were much easier to look after.

“At least they don’t need milk anymore, so you guys can go more than a few hours at a time without seeing a baby.”

Miroku rubbed the back of his neck. “Heh… about that….”

“Hm?” Said Inuyasha, confused. He stared blankly at Miroku’s crooked grin for a few moments before it clicked. His eyes widened. “No. Not another one.”

“Yes,” said Sango, coming in from behind them, having just put the girls to bed. She stopped in front of Inuyasha, her hands cupping the barest of bumps on her slim belly. “Another one.”

_________________________________

The summer came and went, marking a year since Sesshomaru had bequeathed the responsibility of protecting Rin to Inuyasha. He hadn’t seen the other demon in person for months, but every evening before the new moon rendered him human, he could smell him nearby. Whether or not Sesshomaru had had to fend off any attackers or unwanted suitors was unbeknownst to him, and he sort of preferred it that way. Made things less weird. 

The past few years had changed every facet of his life, including, slowly but surely, his perception of Sesshomaru. A couple of years ago, his mentality regarding the other had been strictly: evil, danger, hatred. Now, though his resentment still lingered, he found himself wondering sometimes. If Sesshomaru could feel compassion for Rin and apparently for Inuyasha, what else did he feel? Inuyasha used to think the demon lord incapable of such things, but by his actions nowadays, he’d been proven wrong. And on that note, what was it exactly that demon lords did? Up until recently, Inuyasha had thought that all Sesshomaru ever did was wander the lands seeking new ways to attain power. Obviously, though, he had some sort of tenuous relationship with Tsukihara, the Lord of the Northern Lands; so perhaps being Lord of the Western Lands came  
with more responsibility than Inuyasha had previously thought.

As though Rin could sense his thoughts, she watched the red and orange leaves collecting on the ground behind their hut wistfully. She plopped down on the hill next to Inuyasha and pulled her knees to her chest.

“Do you think Lord Sesshomaru will visit soon?”

Inuyasha, who lay starfished on the ground, staring up at the clouds in thought, shrugged. “Probably.”

Rin frowned, and Inuyasha found himself wishing he could give her an answer she wanted to hear. The truth was, he wasn’t sure if Sesshomaru would continue to visit her the same way he used to after everything that’d happened last time he was here. Inuyasha felt as though if he never saw Sesshomaru again it’d be too soon, mostly from embarrassment and pride, somewhat from nervousness. There was so much more for Sesshomaru to judge about him now, and deny it though he might, it bothered him. Rin, though, had no such qualms. Sesshomaru was someone she loved dearly and whom it brought her joy to see. That they hailed from such different worlds was sort of tragic, really.

Inuyasha elbowed the kid gently. “Quit moping, will ya? He’ll come. He always does.”

This seemed to do the trick. With a lighter expression than before, Rin layed back on the hill with Inuyasha and pointed at one of the rolling clouds above.

“A slug.”

Inuyasha’s brow knit together. “Huh?”

Rin giggled. “It looks like a slug. See the wiggly body?”

“Oh, yeah. Hm.”

“Do you see anything?”

Inuyasha pursed his lips. He was no good at cloud spotting. He tilted his head, eyes falling from one lumpy form to the next.

“Er… that one looks like a rock.”

Rin laughed and shook her head. “No it doesn’t!”

“Sure it does. You just gotta look at it from the right angle… try squinting a little.”

“That’s cheating, Master Inuyasha. Then they’ll all look like rocks.”

“So then I’m right! I win.”

“You can’t win at cloud spotting, Master Inuyasha.” Rin chuckled. “It’s not a competition.”

“It is if I win.”

______________________________

More months passed, and still Sesshomaru did not come. The air grew colder, and the first snowfall, Inuyasha knew, grew nearer.

“If he can make his way to the forest once a month, he can at least be bothered to hang around long enough to say hey to Rin. She doesn’t understand why he hasn’t been here.”

Kaede, who listened to Inuyasha’s spiel while she added herbs to the stew over the fire, sat back on her heels and looked over at him.

“I’m sure he has his reasons. Since I met Lord Sesshomaru, his agenda has been the girl’s well-being.”

Inuyasha huffed. He leaned back on the frame of the open doorway of Kaede’s hut and watched Rin and Kohaku playing with the other village kids in the field outside, each covered from head to toe in thick fabrics to shield them from the cold.

“He’ll have to see her eventually. In the meantime, she’s all sad because she thinks she’s disappointed him or something. It ain’t fair.”

“Rin will be alright, Inuyasha. His leaving her to ye was the best he could have done for her.”

“Yeah, well….”

The sound of laughter ending abruptly and being replaced by cheers and hollers had Inuyasha trailing off. Out in the field, the children were all staring at the sky. Rin, unlike the rest, watched in silence. Inuyasha leaned out the door so that he could see what the fuss was about, and a snowflake landed on his cheek.

_________________________________

Rin didn’t mention Sesshomaru’s absence again, but Inuyasha could see the the worry on her face sometimes when she looked out the window towards the forest. Those sorrowful looks would be kept in mind when Inuyasha next got the chance to see the bastard responsible for them in person.

He remembered a year ago Rin happily running about in the snow during Sesshomaru’s visit, the one during which he’d told Inuyasha of his mother’s death and had renounced his unfounded hatred for him. He’d been in an odder-than-usual state even then, and after the secrets unearthed during the summer (and those not), Inuyasha was fully prepared to be completely surprised the next time they spoke. Of course, he was also fully prepared to be disappointed as well. Always prepared for that. That wasn’t what was eating at him currently, however. It piqued his stubborn curiosity, but he was more interested in whether it was because of him that Sesshomaru was skipping out on his usual seasonal visits. He wouldn’t give a damn either way if it weren’t for the fact that it hurt Rin. Not to mention, a lot of questions about… biology… remained to be asked.

A rough scraping from behind him caught Inuyasha’s attention. He diverted his gaze from the window to find Rin sitting cross-legged in front of the fire working away with a mortar and pestle. He raised an eyebrow.

“Whatcha doin’ over there, monkey?”

“Grinding herbs,” she replied without breaking her concentration. “For Miss Sango’s morning sickness.”

“Ah, so Kaede trusts you to do it yourself now, eh? Maybe you could start selling that stuff, buy your own drawing paper.”

When that failed to rouse so much as a giggle, Inuyasha frowned. Either the kid was hyper focused on her task (yes, because composing medicines is a fun pastime for ten-year-olds), or something was bothering her, too. Three guesses what it was. Huffing a sigh through his those, Inuyasha meandered over to the fire pit and sat across from her. This finally succeeded in getting Rin to look at him.

“Somethings up with you, kid. So what is it? Boy pull your ponytail, or…?”

Rin paused her work and shook her head. Inuyasha twisted his lips and thought for a moment.

“Alright, look. I know you’re upset that Sesshomaru hasn’t shown. Believe, I’m upset, too.”

“Really?”

“Well, no. Not exactly, anyway. But I don’t like that you’re upset, so now I’m upset. I want you to feel better. Whatta ya want, monkey? New crayons, extra desserts, anything, you name it. I’ll spoil you for a whole day.”

Rin’s eyes lit up at ‘extra desserts’, but she seemed to hesitate. She drew her shoulders in and glanced at the floor, a gesture that Inuyasha had long since learned meant that Rin wanted to ask something she thought he’d say no to.

“C’mon, I said anything, didn’t I? Why are women always so tight-lipped about what they want? Spit it out.”

Rin teetered her shoulders anxiously and set down the mortar and pestle. This was gonna be a good one.

“Can you check on Lord Sesshomaru?”

Well, that threw Inuyasha for a loop. He was expecting her to take him up on those desserts, maybe even throw in a trip to the market the next village over.

“Sess - what?”

“I’m really worried about him. He’s never been gone for this long before. If he’s in trouble, you’re the only one that could help him.”

While Inuyasha turned his head to-and-fro with his mouth agape, trying to figure out which part of that to address first, Rin stood and scampered over to her sleep mat. From underneath her pillow, she produced a sheet of drawing paper packed to each edge with colors.

“Rin, I don’t think you really understand… I mean… Sesshomaru is….”

Rin placed the paper into his lap. It was a recreation of the drawing she’d given Sesshomaru, parents in heaven and all. What a manipulative little devil.

“I finished it during the fall. I wanted to show it to Lord Sesshomaru, but….”

Her drawing skills had improved in the past year. He had to admit, his depiction looked much more flattering in this version. A lot of effort had been put into the drawing. When Inuyasha looked up at her, she was hitting him with the puppy-dog eyes.

“Please, Master Inuyasha?”

Inuyasha grimaced. He attempted valiantly to resist the eyes and the pout, but he knew from the time she whipped them out that his efforts were in vain.

“Agh! Fine! Since he won’t pay us a visit, I’ll pay him one.”

Rin beamed, and Inuyasha groaned again. 

“It’ll be a total waste of my time, just so you know. If anyone can handle himself, it’s him. Sesshomaru is just being… Sesshomaru. He’s gonna be really insulted that you had him checked up on, by the way.”

There was that giggle.

_______________________________

Inuyasha decided that the best method to intercepting Sesshomaru was going to be waiting in the forest for him the afternoon of the following new moon. Sesshomaru was guaranteed to be there, so there was no point in going out of his way to track him down before then. 

That being said, Rin wasn’t exactly pleased that he’d be waiting over a week before doing what she’d asked. He couldn’t explain the situation to her, so when she asked why he had to wait for the new moon, he had to pull the “because I said so” card. Hopefully the extra sweets made up for it.

As the dim winter sun inched lazily toward the sparse treeline the afternoon of the new moon, Inuyasha delivered Rin at Sango and Miroku’s hut as he usually did these nights, except this time he himself wouldn’t be staying as he had been recently. This seemed to cause his friends some distress.

“Are you sure this is a good idea, Inuyasha?” Miroku asked in a hushed voice. Sango’s unsure expression spoke to her mutual concern. “I mean, you know Lord Sesshomaru is safe, he comes every month. Rin knows of your human nights now, so why not tell her that Sesshomaru comes to watch over the two of you on these nights? Why leave the village when you’re vulnerable?”

Inuyasha shook his head.

“She can’t know that. For one, I don’t want her thinking I need Sesshomaru to protect me or that he’s doing me any favors. I’ll never live that down. And her feelings’ll be all hurt if she knows Sesshomaru’s been coming every month but not visiting her.”

Sango shrugged and heaved a sigh. “You’re right. It wouldn’t be fair. She won’t understand.”

“I’ve got some questions to ask him anyway. The asshole’s been avoiding me for months, and he doesn’t avoid anything. I’m gonna find out what’s up with him.”

His friends didn’t look very happy with his leaving the village on his human night, but they knew if he was with Sesshomaru, he would be alright. Strange; not that long ago, they’d all have thought the exact opposite.

“Be safe, Inuyasha.” Miroku urged. “And please don’t fight with Lord Sesshomaru. As much as I hate to say it, you need him.”

Inuyasha pulled a mildly disgusted face. Sango must’ve seen the defiance in his eyes because she reached out to squeeze his shoulder for emphasis.

“I know you despise relying on him, but please… be careful. Rin will be waiting for you to return.”

It was unfair that everyone knew how to manipulate him. Inuyasha scoffed.

“I’m not an idiot, I can take care of myself. I did it for a hundred and fifty years before I met you guys, remember? Stop your worrying, I’ll be fine.”

Sango opened her mouth to reply, but one of the twins, standing on wobbly, unpracticed legs, tugged on the bottom of her kimono. 

“Mama!”

Miroku bent and picked the girl up. Sango wasn’t doing a lot of lifting these days, what with her growing belly.

“I can’t believe they’re already a year old. Humans grow so fast.”

Miroku nodded with a chuckle. “Yep, they’re a handful… or two… or three….”

“Anyway,” Sango said, “it’s dinner time for them. Please be safe, Inuyasha. You’ve only got an hour of daylight left. I’ll see you tonight, okay?”

With some effort, she transferred the baby from Miroku’s arms to her own and headed back inside. 

“I hope you find the answers you want, my friend.” 

With an encouraging nod, Miroku closed the door. Despite all his bravado, Inuyasha didn’t really like being by himself with the impending new moon. It had been a very long time since he’d faced it alone. But, loathe it as he may to depend on the bastard, he knew that Sesshomaru would not allow another demon close to the village.

Snow was fluttering gently to the ground. There wasn’t much sticking, though, which was good for Inuyasha because he had no protective clothing, not even shoes. Being half-demon the cold didn’t bother him the way it bothered humans, but he was still half-human. It was unpleasant.

“Right, then….”

It’d been a while since Inuyasha had gone for a run. With no battles waging and no one’s life on the line and a kid to look after, Inuyasha spent most of his time in the village. As he kicked up dirt behind him, he wondered if maybe he should’ve stretched a bit first.

“Keh. Me checking on Sesshomaru’s safety. He kills anything that looks at him the wrong way.”

In all honesty, Inuyasha wouldn’t want to cross paths with anything that could best Sesshomaru.

Once in the forest, Inuyasha took to leaping through the trees. The icy ground had his feet growing numb, and from up here he could keep an eye on the sun. Not to mention height gave him the advantage if anything decided to attack.

It wasn’t long before Sesshomaru’s scent was in the air, and Inuyasha followed it towards….

“The well? Why would he wanna hang around there?”

Sure enough, as Inuyasha perched on a low branch of a tree on the edge of the clearing, he saw a curtain of silvery-white tresses waving with the wind next to the well. He knew that Sesshomaru knew he was there, but he wasn’t facing him. His scent had masked that of the one holding his attention, which was a testament to the strength of Sesshomaru’s aroma, because wolf stench was really hard to miss.

“Oh, great,” Inuyasha muttered to himself, shifting through the tree branches for a better view. Koga stood a few yards from Sesshomaru with his fists curled, looking exactly as he had two years ago when he’d last seen him. “He’d better get outta here. This is the one night I’m not gonna be able to save his ass if he pisses Sesshomaru off.”

Koga was already annoyed by the looks of it; so was Sesshomaru, but that was his default emotion. 

“I’m not looking for a fight.” Koga said, his tone uncharacteristicly serious. “I gotta talk to the mutt, so what’s it to you, Lord Sesshomaru?”

Koga wanted to talk to him, and about something important, it seemed. He must not be able to smell Inuyasha either, or he’d just go around Sesshomaru. Or try to, anyway.

“I will issue you one more warning, Wolf. Leave. Return to your territory.”

“I can’t!” Koga growled. “I don’t understand. Last I checked, you and Inuyasha weren’t exactly close, so why are you suddenly his guard dog?”

He’d said the wrong thing. Sesshomaru gripped the hilt of his sword and took a step forward, and Inuyasha knew he had to intervene while he was still able. He dropped to the ground and swiftly closed the distance between himself and the two agitated demons in the clearing, placing himself between them in an effort to de-escalate the situation.

Koga paused and tilted his head. “Mutt-face?” 

“Shut up, Wolf. Look, Sesshomaru -“

“Roaming the forest on the night of the new moon.” Despite the fact that his hand was still curled around the hilt of his sword, Sesshomaru’s face was schooled into his usual apathy. “Does your foolishness truly know no bounds?”

Inuyasha’s hackles rose. He turned his back to Koga to face Sesshomaru fully and bared his teeth. “I wouldn’t have to come looking for you if you’d stop avoiding me! You told me a big load of crap then took off, and I have questions.”

Sesshomaru’s sword hand returned to his side. “I already told you that I’ve fulfilled my responsibilities. If you’re unsatisfied with your answers, take it up with your advisor.”

“You wanna talk about responsibility? How about Rin? You know, your ward? The kid thinks she’s done something to deserve you ditching your visits. You know she asked me to check on you? You avoiding me is one thing, but Rin… that’s cold, even for you.”

It seemed that after all his previous failed attempts, Inuyasha had finally succeeded in striking a nerve. Sesshomaru’s expression betrayed his annoyance for a moment. This would’ve been the moment, two years ago, that Sesshomaru would’ve struck him, or maybe have drawn his sword. He did neither.

“I thought you would have realized by now why it is that I haven’t been to see Rin. If you cannot deduce even that much -“

“Hey!”

They’d forgotten about their audience, which was just wonderful, because surely to Sesshomaru interrupting him was an offense punishable by death. Inuyasha spun around to find the wolf demon looking… worse for wear. Which was saying something, because he wasn’t exactly a sight for sore eyes to Inuyasha an a good day. His hair, which was normally tied up on the back of his head, was down and ratty. His limbs and clothes were speckled with dried mud. His eyes had a frantic look to them. Inuyasha momentarily forgot about telling him off for being stupid.

“What the hell got ahold of you?”

Koga huffed. “I got no clue what the deal is with you two and I don’t have time to care. Mutt, you and I need to talk.”

“Well, as much as I enjoy your company, now’s not really a good time.”

Koga took an intimidating step towards him, and while Inuyasha realized that it was an empty threat, Sesshomaru did not, and he was done being patient. Before Inuyasha could so much as blink, the tip of Sesshomaru’s sword was underneath Koga’s chin. Koga froze, a growl rumbling in the back of his throat. Crap. Defuse, defuse, defuse….

“Sesshomaru, you said you’d take care of other demons while I was human. Well I’m not human yet, so cool it, will ya? I can deal with him.”

It was all he could think of, even though it meant Koga knowing about his human nights. Sesshomaru glared coldly at Koga for a long moment, during which Koga glared stubbornly back and Inuyasha prepared to tackle one of them if he had to. Finally, Sesshomaru lowered his sword and sheathed it. Koga seemed to have been holding his breath and panted slightly when the threat was removed. 

“I recommend that you make yourself scarce by nightfall.” Sesshomaru cautioned the wolf demon, then passed them both to stalk off into the trees. Koga folded his arms and shook his head.

“Alright, Mutt, things are weirder than usual with you. What do you mean you’re not human yet? And what’s with Bigger, Stinkier Dog?”

Inuyasha pulled a pained face, fishing around in his mind for some way to avoid telling Koga the truth, and groaned when he couldn’t find one.

“Of course you’d show up now. Can’t you just come back tomorrow?”

“I’d love to, Mutt, but those dragon demons from the north are attacking my territory!”

Inuyasha’s ears twitched. “Wait… Tsukihara is trying to claim your territory?”

“Don’t act like you didn’t know.”

“Why the hell would I know?”

“Because that bastard Yorustume said to ask you! Said you’d offended his sister or some crap!”

“I offended her? Huh… delusional and creepy - woah!”

Koga lunged and seized him by the front of his robes, and Inuyasha realized that he was trembling slightly.

“Is this funny to you, Inuyasha? My remaining comrades and my mate Ayame are hiding in a cave somewhere, and they and my unborn pups are in danger because of you! So start talking! Why did Yorutsume give me your name when I asked him why he was attacking my pack? And… and why….” Koga leaned forward and took a few cautious sniffs. “Why do you smell so different?”

Inuyasha shoved Koga away by his shoulders. While he’d been close enough to catch Inuyasha’s scent, Inuyasha had been close enough to smell his, and it was clear now that he was a seme. Koga was so caught off guard by the rough push that he stumbled a bit before catching himself.

“Why do you think? Look, I don’t know why the dragon clan attacking your territory has anything to do with me, but I guess Tsukihara is pissed because I rejected her.”

“Rejected her…? But she’s a seme. That would mean….”

Inuyasha rolled his eyes and waited for the wolf to put two and to together. Surely this would be one of those moments he’d been dreading. One where one of his past rivals found out about his status and taunted him, maybe be disgusted. Koga blinked several times.

“That explains the smell. I gotta say, Mutt, I never expected that outta you. So, you and Lord Sesshomaru…?”

“Long story, but it’s not what it looks like.”

“Uh-huh.” Koga rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “That still doesn’t explain why Lord Tsukihara came after me.”

“Hold on,” Inuyasha forced down his shame and looked Koga in the eye. “That’s it? No jokes about me being weak or a freak or anything?”

Koga frowned. “What? Why would I do that? Besides, I got bigger problems to worry about, and you’re gonna help me figure them out. Does Tsukihara think we’re lovers or something?”

Inuyasha cringed. “Eugh. I hope not. I don’t even know how she found out that we know each other. I figured if she’d go after anyone it woulda been Sesshomaru, but I don’t think anyone would be dumb enough to go after him.”

While Inuyasha, at a loss, scratched his head, Koga seemed to have an epiphany. He brought a fist down into a flat palm and gave a humorless chuckle.

“That’s it. Lord Tsukihara knew she couldn’t go after Lord Sesshomaru, so she found something else to use against you.”

To use against him… did that mean that if he didn’t accept Tsukihara’s advances, she would decimate Koga’s tribe? Koga, who, though he’d die before he admitted it, had become something akin to a friend to him?

“An ultimatum.”

Koga nodded. “Evil wench. Now I gotta rely on you.”

Inuyasha took a step back and scoffed incredulously. “You don’t actually expect me to mate her, do you?”

“No.” Koga grunted and looked skyward. It seemed that he was having difficulty spitting out what he was going to say next. “I’m asking for your help. As much as I hate to say this, we might be able to fight off Yorutsume and his troops without any more casualties with you fighting alongside us.”

“Oh…” Inuyasha’s irritation dissolved in the face of surprise. 

He’d expected Koga, of all people, to taunt and jibe him when he discovered his status, not immediately move on and suggest comradeship. On one hand, he had Rin and the others to look after, not to mention himself. He’d been avoiding any contact with other demons since he’d presented, and joining a battle was probably the most effective way to screw that up. On the other hand… Koga and his pack wouldn’t be in danger if not for Inuyasha. Even if it weren’t his fault, he wasn’t sure he could turn his back on his once-comrade. Besides, who’s to say that if targeting Koga didn’t work, Tsukihara wouldn’t find another way to target the village again? He couldn’t allow that. He had to put a stop to this before it grew any worse.

“Alright, I’ll help you. I owe Yorutsume an ass-kicking, anyway, and I’ve been itching to meet him. But it’ll have to wait til tomorrow.”

Koga growled in frustration. “The longer we wait, the more danger my comrades are in. Whatever you got going on can’t be more important than… your ears?”

“My -?”

Inuyasha looked at the sun, which was well below the treeline now. He felt his demon half slipping away with it. His ears were shrinking down into his scalp, his claws were receding, and his senses were dulling. He reached up and pulled a clump of dead white hair from atop his shiny black hair.

“Great. This is part of that long story I mentioned earlier. Happens once a month.”

Koga shook his head in disbelief. “You’re full of surprises today, Mutt. How are you any help to me as a mortal?”

“Oh, shut up, I’ll get my powers back when the sun comes up. Listen, long story short, I look after Sesshomaru’s favorite human, but I can’t on these nights, so he looks out for me so that I can keep looking out for the human. Got it?”

Koga squinted, assembling the puzzle pieces in his head. “Whatever. As long as you’re back by morning, I don’t care. I don’t have enough time to throw down with Lord Sesshomaru, so I’m gonna head back to the front lines before he gets all blade-happy again. I’ll see you tomorrow, Mutt.”

And though he no longer had jewel shards in his legs, the wolf could still run. He was out of sight within seconds, his kicked up dirt leaving Inuyasha blowing his nose into his sleeve. 

“Fuck, the ground is cold.”

It’d been unpleasant as a half-demon, but it was nearly unbearable as a human. He tip-toed awkwardly to the well a few paces away and sat on it, allowing his feet to hang above the snow. He’d planned to return to the village before his transformation, but Koga’s appearance had thrown a wrench in that plan. He shivered and drew his robes closer to his skin.

“If you had remained in the village, you would be warm.”

Right. No demon sense of smell. Sesshomaru was approaching from the same direction he’d strode off in.

“Well, if you hadn’t been avoiding me, I would still be in the village.” Inuyasha countered. 

By this point, Inuyasha was slowly growing used to Sesshomaru not getting angry at times that he would have in the past. The demon lord simply sat on the corner of the well adjacent to him, though with his feet planted firmly on the ground.

“Inuyasha, Rin is a vulnerability for both you and myself. I have not visited the village because if Lord Tsukihara or any other demons seeking you out realized that they could manipulate us both with one helpless human, she would undoubtedly become a target.”

Inuyasha mentally cursed. He was right. How did he not realize it sooner?

“Much in the way that the wolf demon has.”

Inuyasha turned. “You heard that?”

“Lord Tsukihara fears me and so has decided to bypass me rather than to face me. It is amusing.”

Inuyasha looked at the ground. “Yeah, well, it’s not amusing to Koga. Not that you’d care.”

“The affairs of other demons are not important to me.” Sesshomaru confirmed. “However, Lord Tsukihara will regret that she did not heed my warning to leave you be.”

Inuyasha was reminded of Sesshomaru apprearinh out of nowhere and sweeping him away from Tsukihara, placing himself between them. That split second of discomposure that he’d elected not to analyze because he was scared of what he’d find if he did. And there was also what Myoga had told him about the Tenseiga. Maybe it was best not to reveal that the flea had spilled the beans on that.

“Does that mean you’ll help Koga?”

“I will confront Lord Tsukihara. I don’t care whether that benefits the wolf demon.”

Inuyasha nodded. That sounded about right. It sounded like Sesshomaru. So why did it not piss him off? Maybe it meant that he was learning more about how the other’s twisted mind worked. Now seemed like a time that he’d be receptive to a question, but Inuyasha had to choose carefully. He doubted he’d answer them all.

“I gotta ask… whatever your ‘test’ with Tenseiga and I was about last year… Myoga said he thought you’d be more careful, considering something. He wouldn’t say what.”

With a sigh, which was much more expression than Sesshomaru ever bothered to show, he tilted his head skywards, where stars were just starting to shine. 

“The flea demon has always been an authority on gossip. It would not matter if the world knew of my curse; it would be impossible for anyone to use it against me.”

Inuyasha’s jaw dropped. “Curse? What kind of curse?”

“It is the kind of curse, Inuyasha, that will never affect myself or anyone else. A useless curse that has nothing to do with Tenseiga’s behavior.”

It appeared that Sesshomaru had said all that he was willing to say. He stood swept his hair behind his shoulder, and treaded out into the clearing.

“You’ve stranded yourself in your vulnerable state in conditions that would kill you had it not been for me. I thought you had learned from your last brush with death, but I should have known. I have no desire to do this again.”

And then Sesshomaru was transforming into his giant dog form, just as large and imposing as the last time. Inuyasha most definitely did not hunker down when the enormous maw reached for the back of his collar to swing him onto his back.

**Author's Note:**

> Let me know what you think please!


End file.
